


Sanctuary

by Shirokaze



Category: Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Slow Burn, Some fluff as well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-01-01 18:30:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 58,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21147281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shirokaze/pseuds/Shirokaze
Summary: After Ange leaves the Golden Land, Lion and Will start their new life together at the detective's home - which isn't as easy as they'd initially thought.[Multichapter]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is Shirokaze and I live for Will X Lion ♡ 
> 
> First off, English is not my first language, so while I fix as much as possible, there may be some weird wording and grammar issues. Also, I know I keep switching between ENUK and ENUS, have mercy on my soul. 
> 
> Also, quotation rules don't exist in this, sorry x3  
I wrote this 100% for my private use, so yeah...(this thing has about 20 chapters already, I'm not gonna fix all that x'D)
> 
> ANYWAYS:  
A short warning beforehand: Lion identifies as male in this and his sex is male as well, therefore I'll be using he/him pronouns.  
Still, as he said in canon, he has some (more or less severe) complexes about his appearance.  
Please respect that this is my personal interpretation of all the clues given in the novel and if you've reached a different "truth" that is fine! 
> 
> Well then, have fun ☆ This first chapter turned out rather...uhm...brutal, but don't worry it will get a bit fluffier later on ;)

"Goodbye…Lion, Willard. Too bad I can’t stay and watch your distorted figures as my kittens make you their scratchpost."

With a shrill cackle the witch of miracles dissolved into a blue shimmering ball of light and simply disappeared, leaving the pair to their fate. Now it was only the two of them in this vast ocean of kakera with no hope of escape or salvation.

Lion’s head was spinning. Being horribly outnumbered and surrounded on each side, their time was limited. Any second now, those hundred – no, probably thousands of cats would plunge at them. Will’s grip around his waist tightened as if preparing for the worst that was about to come. Was there really no way out?!  
Think! Don’t give up!  
No one he knew was still alive, and even if they were – no human being was capable of reaching them in this place. Desperately, Lion swung his head around, scanning their surroundings for any kakera that’d be in reach. Will could still run! If they aimed for a full dash and jumped into another world…

Impossible. Bernkastel’s familiars not only blocked his way but also his sight. Wherever he looked, there was nothing but howling, angry cats preparing to feast on their bodies as a midnight snack.  
Maybe one of Will’s friends could reach and save them?! Did that man have friends? Did they know where he was? All he ever spoke of was his pet cat Diana.  
Unlike Lion, Will as former Head Inquisitor of the SSVD held enough power to at least put up a fight. Now, if some of his colleagues were to show up and help, then maybe…

“Hold on tight. They’re coming.”  
Will’s raspy voice was like cold thunder that ripped apart Lion's frantic, yet comforting wishes.  
Nobody would come. It was too late. 

The army of cats let out a terribly loud howl. It rang in Lion’s ears, sending violent shivers through his entire body.  
And then – in less than a few seconds – his world turned black. The sheer ferocity that hit them from all sides at once immediately made them lose balance. Helplessly they crashed to the ground. He should have expected that outcome, and yet, Lion let out a surprised yelp.  
Without his sword, Will was as powerless as a regular human. The only way he had left to protect the small figure to his right was to shield him with his body for as long as possible.  
Clinging to the tall man for his dear life, Lion was left to just lie beneath his savior while listening to the sound of flesh and clothes being ripped apart. But no matter how much the cats tore at Will, he refused to make a sound. With all his might, he cradled Lion into his arms, hoping that Bern’s familiars would just maybe be satisfied with one meal. 

It was Lion who couldn’t take it. Hot, feverish tears ran down his cheeks as his muffled cries were drowned out by the monsters’ banquet. Guilt crept up his spine and began tearing his heart to pieces. Will would die because of him. Because of his plea to stay by his side. Because of his determination that there would be a miracle.  
How foolish…  
The moment Will finally succumbed to his fate and screamed out in agony, the moment Lion felt the older men’s body shake from the unimaginable pain, he knew. There was no miracle. 

Will…I’m so sorry...  
Lion was fine with dying. He had nothing to lose anyway. Lying there completely unable to do anything but watch his savior get torn to pieces was too much though. His heart broke, like a mirror’s shards crashing down onto the concrete, hard floor. This fate was way too merciless.  
Will writhed, panted and cried as if his end was near. 

Please...someone…  
Why did that man go so far for him? Why?  
Lion didn’t understand. Who would so readily die for someone he had barely spend a few hours with? Why was this man’s sacrifice such a painful thing to him? He had watched his whole family being brutally slaughtered over and over. Had been taunted with his own bloodied corpse in the parlor. It hurt, it was painful…but why was the thing he absolutely couldn’t forgive Will’s death? 

“Oh my, what a tasteless drama~” 

Lion’s eyes widened. Who…had said that just now? It wasn’t Will’s voice. No, the owner was female, a young girl probably. 

“I was just about to enjoy my afternoon cake, but this scenario is just way too loud and unsightly. Mhhh, what should I do~ Maybe make all those little kittens shut up for a second?” 

A girl’s amused complaining was clearly to be heard. Lion couldn’t see what was going on thanks to Will’s body blocking his sight, but the cats had indeed halted their attack. Lion listened to their angry hissing at the apparently unwelcome spectator.  
A ray of hope spread through Lion’s entire body as if he’d been shot a second time. Someone was there! Someone powerful enough to reach them here and keep that witch’s familiars at bay. It was their only chance! 

“Unghhh…!!”  
Carefully, Lion wriggled out from underneath Will, hoping not to cause too much pain in the process. Apart from a few weak sounds which Lion interpreted as protests, nothing happened. Will was probably already close to death. He had to act quickly. 

“And who do we have here? The princess to this boring sob story, it seems. Are you done hiding behind that joke of a wannabe prince?” 

Choosing to ignore the mocking insults, Lion searched frantically for the voice’s owner. As a candy landed on his shoulder his head shot up, only to be baffled by the sight that was presented to him.  
The little blonde girl hovering in the air above them seemed as out of place as a whale in a desert. With her pink dress covered in kitschy ribbons and whatnot, she posed an almost absurd contrast to Lion and Will, both covered in bruises and blood. Aside from her appearance, all kinds of sugary desserts surrounded her, dancing up and down to a jingle that couldn’t be heard. 

“Are you…a witch?” Lion decided to voice out his thoughts. If she was, he had to somehow convince her to save them, no matter what. 

The girl let out an innocent laugh, before flinging thousands of cookies in the air. With a snip of her fingers, they exploded into a multitude of smaller, colorfully wrapped candy. Lion could only gape in awe as the weird fireworks around them went off, commented by the scornful hissing of Bernkastel’s cats. By now, they were about 10 meters away, carefully keeping their distance. 

Finally, the witch decided to answer Lion’s question.  
“Surprised? I’m Lambdadelta, Witch of Certainty. And it seems you two are just what I need to play a little lover’s trick on Bern, hahahaha~ “ 

“I…don’t really understand, but does that mean you are friend’s with Bernkastel?” Lion put his entire remaining strength into keeping his voice steady. He could absolutely show no weakness. If he had learned one thing, then that was just going to feed those sadistic witches’ bloodlust.  
But, if it turned out that this witch was friends with the other one, then he’d have to carefully navigate his words. Convincing her to save them wouldn’t be easy. 

“You know, Bern is like the cherry on a delicious sugar mountain. I want to savour her forever, but ah…if I accidently end up eating her, she might just blow me up from the inside~ “Lambdadelta’s face twisted into a bright grin. “That’s what I love so much about her y’know?” 

Lion had no idea how to respond or what to make of the situation. Will, who was used to dealing with witches, would’ve probably known what to do but…  
The Ex-SSVD Head was lying on the ground, his labored breaths becoming gradually weaker and weaker.

“Will…”  
Lion decided to put everything on the line. He HAD to succeed. Wiping his tear stained face - which probably still looked pathetic - he clung to the last piece of sanity and hope left in him.

“Lady Lambdadelta, I’m glad to make your acquaintance.” Without any strength left to stand up, even in his sitting position, Lion offered a small bow. The wound in his chest hurt horribly at the motion. “If there is anything I can offer to you, o great witch, then I’d like you to take me and this man away from this place.” 

As soon as he said that, the girl doubled over, holding her stomach while laughing in a frenzy.  
PFFFFTTTTTT!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! 

Lion had no idea if it was a good or bad sign. With one hand on Wills wrist, making sure he still had a pulse, Lion steeled himself for what was to come. 

A few candies rained down, popping off of his head and shoulders. They were surprisingly soft and didn’t hurt at all unlike the first ones.

“That was a real good one.” The witch giggled with unconcealed amusement as she landed right next to Will. “You’re quite the funny one! But I wonder what it is, that a dead piece of meat could possibly offer to me?”  
Curiously she scanned Will’s back, poking her finger into one of the deep scratches. 

“Ughh!” 

“Stop it!” Lion exclaimed, despite his prior decision to keep his cool. 

The witch didn’t care though. Poking into a few more flesh wounds until she was apparently satisfied, she ignored the young man’s pleading shouts. 

“Wow, they got him real good, huh~ But that’s just my Bern when she’s reeeeally pissed.”  
Slowly, Lambdadelta rose back to her feet, finally turning her attention back to Lion.  
“So? What is it you could offer to me?” 

It was a farce of course. From the beginning she had decided to make those pieces hers, if only to get a good laugh at her lover’s probably baffled and angry face later on. But to see this young one wrack his brain over the answer to her question was also a very welcome omake to this story. 

“Entertainment!” 

Lambda blinked. 

“You witches like to be entertained, right? If you save us from here…we’ll make sure to give you an ending you couldn’t even imagine!” 

Of course, at this point of history, neither Lion nor Lambda could have known how right his empty words had been. For the witch of certainty though, this display of courage and hope despite all that had occurred was good enough. After all, Lamdadelta is the witch who gives strength to those who possess unshakeable willpower. 

Flying over their bodies and landing right next to Lion this time, the witch raised a brow and spoke with an underlying dare in her voice. “Can you promise that? That adding you pieces to my cute little sweets arrangement won’t make me drop dead from boredom?” 

“YES! I PROMISE!” Lion had a fierce look in his red, swollen eyes that left no doubts. 

How cute~ Lambda thought smiling. A little lion’s cub pretending to be all grown up and fierce. He probably felt proud thinking that he had successfully made an agreement with a witch.  
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~~!!! 

“Fine. If you fail, I might make a stuffed plush toy out of you later.”  
Lambda held out her hand. “Come on, let’s go. I don’t like my tea getting cold.” 

Lion could barely keep his composure. Almost breaking down in tears again, he bowed down to his friend. “Will! Can you hear me? Hang in there!”  
They would be saved. They wouldn’t die here!  
Lion’s heart raced as he mustered his last strength in an attempt to lift Will up. He felt so relieved…and triumphant. A miracle had occurred after all.

“Ughh…”  
Will was too heavy. He could literally feel the witch in front of him watch his struggle with joy and the cats still lingering at distance seeth with anger and bloodlust. After what seemed like an eternity of pointless struggling, the scene stopped to be of interest to at least one party, though. 

“Okay, stop that. Just grab my hand, I’ll take care of him.” Lambda impatiently urged Lion once again to take her hand, waving it up and down in front of his face.  
Shakily, feeling close to death himself, Lion grasped that hand – their only chance of salvation that had so unexpectedly graced them. 

In the same instant their fingers touched, the three of them became engulfed in a blinding light. With one hand on the witch and one hand firmly gripping the rest of what once was Will’s left arm, Lion closed his eyes. Traveling at the speed of light, they jumped through hundreds of universes and worlds, making him sea sick to a point his whole stomach turned into a single big knot. The world of witches...parallel worlds, his family’s massacre…all of it overwhelmed him to an extend that his head felt like exploding. The only thing that kept him grounded was the feeling of Will close to him. The sensation of his warm blood on his hand. Lion had to stay strong. He couldn’t give in. He HAD to survive, no matter what. Will had saved him and now he would return the favor and save the two of them from fate. Even if it meant becoming yet again another witch’s plaything.

“UaAGHHHH ?!?!”  
Lion crashed onto carpet floor, followed by Will who surprisingly had a much softer landing and was slowly sinking down, like a feather to the ground, before his torn body landed with a silent ‘thump’ next to him. 

Holding his strained head and stomach, Lion scanned their new location carefully. If they wanted to survive, figuring out their surroundings (and possible escape routes) was important.  
The room they had landed in fit just perfectly to the kitschy witch’s style. Complimenting the bright pastel furniture, the white floor almost looked like whipped cream. All sorts of girl’s accessories lay mindlessly strewn across the tables, wardrobes and cushions.  
To top it all off, mountains of sweets covered the place, some even piled up on the huge canopy bed in the middle of the room. A room with no door at all. Just a few windows. But, as Lion quickly noticed, even if you looked out of them there was nothing. White, blank, nothingness. 

A strong sour-sweetish smell wafted through the air, only adding to Lion’s already sick stomach.  
He vomited on the carpet. 

“EWW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!?”  
Lambda screeched in disgust, keeping a safe distance from him.

“S-sorry….” Lion coughed helplessly. She’d probably murder him for defiling her room like this, but it couldn’t be helped. To his relief, the puddle soon disappeared from the floor and a tiny muffin floated through the air across the room before halting right in front of his mouth.

“Eat this you pig. You’ll feel much better afterwards.” Lambda scoffed from her safe corner of the room. Lion, already sure he’d just lost the last bit of remaining pride, forced himself to gulp down the tiny sweet in one go.  
…  
Just as the witch had promised, his stomach felt immediately better. Not only his stomach, his head too. 

“What’s with that face?” 

“No…I just thought I’d surely be spitting blood and you’d laugh at me for being this naïve.” 

Lambda frowned as if insulted. “This is my tea room, I sure do not want your filthy blood on my sweets.” Her frown changed all too quickly into an honest grin “But yeah, you’re kind of an idiot. Go on, amuse me!”  
Saying that she swung her legs up and down like an excited little kid anticipating a big birthday surprise. 

How strange witches were. Lion had no idea what to make of them.  
Now that he was feeling better, his attention turned back to Will. Unlike himself, Will was still fighting against death. Those cats really had shown no mercy. They had brutally torn and scratched off the flesh from his back and legs, leaving only a bloody mess.  
Even worse, Lion had absolutely no idea what to do. Sure, he knew first-aid methods, but those would barely work on someone in this state. Attempting to push down his rapidly growing panic, he decided to do at least something. Losing Will NOW was out of question.

“Painkiller…yeah, and bandages…” Lion mumbled to himself.  
“Lady Lambdadelta, could I borrow some medicine?” 

“Take a look at this room. Does my bedroom look like a hospital to you?” Lambda scoffed. 

“But---”  
“Yeah, yeah, here you go~”  
A first aid kit appeared out of nowhere. 

“Thank you!”  
Lion, not questioning those occurrences anymore, frantically inspected the kit for anything that would prove useful.  
There was painkiller. But Will was probably too weak to drink it for now. He had to stabilize him first!  
Flesh wounds...blood loss…what to do first…  
Will became weaker by the second. There was no time to think or panic.  
Lion held the rest of Wills arm and tightly wrapped medical tape around it. That would hopefully stop the bleeding for a while.

He’ll never be able to fight, to hold that sword of his again…He’ll never---no, shut up. Focus! Covering his hands in sanitizer, he then tried to wrap the man’s back with thick cloth, applying as much pressure as possible to stop even more blood from flowing out of the wounds.  
All this for my sake…  
The majority of those would need to be sewn tight. 

“A needle! And medical thread! Do you have that?”  
Without even looking at Lambda, Lion continued his efforts, knowing fully well that he wasn’t making much progress.  
“Will, hang in there! We’re already safe!”  
Lion’s hands were shaking as fresh tears slowly ran down his face. It was pointless. One couldn’t fix a flesh wound with plasters, even a child knew that. 

It’s too late….NO, IT’S NOT! I CAN STILL…. He’s barely breathing. He’ll die. Shut up, SHUT UP SHUT UP 

“Please don’t die, please…” Lion whispered, barely hearable. He had already lost everyone else he cared about. There was no one left in his life but Will. 

If only Lion had taken the time to look around, he would’ve probably noticed. Lambda watched curiously from afar, on her face a look that closely resembled something like ‘pity’ and ‘adoration’. The kind of face a person made when they watched a baby puppy’s first futile attempt at walking around. 

Honestly, what a pure, stupid kid, Lambda thought to herself. So many people had made all those big, greedy wishes to her over and over. Yet here was this boy asking for nothing more than painkillers and thread, when he could’ve just asked her to heal his partner in the first place. The fact that this possibility hadn’t even crossed his mind as he despaired at the limits of his own power made her pity him. But it also earned him her interest and maybe a little bit of sympathy.  
“You’re a pretty slow kid, aren’t you? ~” 

“Huh?” Lion barely payed her any attention, too engrossed in his task at hand. 

“What about your own gunshot wound?” 

Finally, Lion realized. Before coming to this room, he had been in immense pain too. If so, then why and since when had his suffering stopped?! Baffled, he checked his chest.  
“Th—the wound is gone?!” 

Lambda floated right next to him. “Really, you’re just noticing NOW? Come on, I’m a powerful witch. Don’t you think I can fix a few broken game pieces?”  
With a proud, taunting face, Lambda touched Will’s head.  
Then, he was suddenly turned into a giant present box, wrapped in glittering paper, pink dotted bow on top.

“Wha---!?!” Lion let out a dumbfounded sound, gaping at the box that was now transported over to the fluffly canopy. 

“Aaaaaand, TA-DAH!~ “ Lambda let the box explode into smoke. As soon as it faded away, Lion perceived Will’s body lying on the bed, dashing to his side. 

“He’s…”  
The witch had been right, he had been a complete fool. He had witnessed those two girls perform unbelievable magic. He had witnessed even their power to travel worlds first hand, yet it had not occurred even once to him to just ask for Will to be healed. 

Groaning, Lion plummeted down onto the bed next to Will, his face buried deep into his hands out of shame and also to hide those new tears of relief. Now that he had time to think about it, he felt utterly drained. He’d probably pass out if he laid still for just one short moment. Well, maybe it was okay to take a rest now. But before that…  
Lion crawled across the bed on all fours until he could reach Will’s neck. Checking the pulse proved to be unnecessary though. Will’s even breathing was enough proof that the he was fine for now. Lion checked for any wounds, but even Will’s torn clothes had magically repaired themselves. If not for the still missing left arm, an outsider would’ve never been able to guess what the two of them had endured up until a few minutes ago. 

Lion slowly sank down into those silky, comforting pillows. Falling asleep all defenselessly right in front of a witch was such a foolish thing to do, he knew that and yet…

Not like I could fight her If I was awake…

He wouldn’t sleep for long. Just a few minutes. Just rest a little bit and then…  
Lion finally succumbed to exhaustion, passing out before finishing his last thought. 

An amused and yet strangely endeared witch watched over the rescued pair sleeping so peacefully on her bed. She wondered what kind of face Bern would make if she decided to pay a visit at that very moment.  
Pfffftt~  
Lambda gulped down a big piece of chocolate tart, licking her fingers in a very unladylike fashion. 

“Welcome to the tea party, I guess?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you so much! <3 @ everyone who was so kind to leave a kudo or comment. I got really happy seeing the notifications in my inbox. 
> 
> I'm still sad that we never got to find out what happened to Lion, Will and Lambda during their time between rescue and appearing at Battler's party. I love those three and I'm quite fond of them as a trio. I think Will and Lambda would bicker a lot with Lion having to mediate. So, without further ado, here's my version of the missing scene. Have fun! 
> 
> Btw, I was unsure how much to include from the voice dramas as it can be debatable how canon they are (same with all those Umineko spin-offs and omake). The one episode with Will and Lion from vol. 15 made me cry so hard ;_; For the sake of the readers, who didn't listen to the drama cds, I decided not to not include too much content from them, so at least for this ff, Bern did not make Will remember that he'd already met Lion in the past.

“---ion.” 

The young successor of the Ushiromiya family stirred in his sleep. He didn’t want to wake up yet. His bed was way too warm, way too comfortable. Who dared to disturb his bitterly needed rest? 

“Hey, wake up.” 

“Uhnnnn” Lion protested into the cushion. He knew his behavior was childish, unfit for one who was to stand strong in front of their family and yet he couldn’t find the will to awaken to the world around him. 

“Lion!” 

Ah. He knew that voice. It sounded a little rough, but at the same time it was gentle and warm. He had to admit, for some reason hearing that voice made him happy. 

A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and carefully tried to shake him awake. 

“Hey! Get up. Don’t make me worry.” 

Then it all came back to him. Wasn't there someone he wanted to save?  
As if someone had poured cold water right into his face, Lion shot up into an upright position. Ignoring the light swindle that his action had caused, he immediately turned to give his partner a visual checkover. Apart from having been startled, his arm still up to the chest in defense-mode, Will looked fine.  
His expression was a different matter alltogether. There was relief, confusion, worry…and something else Lion couldn’t quite pinpoint, but what did it matter?

“Will, you’re alright?” 

A faint smile spread across the man’s lips. 

“Seems like it. Can’t believe we actually made it out of there.” 

“A witch called Lambdadelta saved us.” 

Speaking of which…Lion rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around the chamber, but the pink-clad girl was nowhere to be seen.

“That explains why we’re locked in this strange place. I’ve already tried opening the windows – no chance.” Will scratched the back of his head as if he was regretting his own powerlessness. 

“She said she was that Bernkastel’s…lover or something along that line. I just hope she isn’t on her way to bring her here.” 

“Don’t think so.” Will awkwardly shifted on the bed until he reached the back end. With just one arm left, even simple things like that turned into a troublesome struggle. With a sigh he relaxed into the cushions. “There’d be no point in rescuing us in the first place if she did that.” 

Lion wasn’t completely convinced, but Will was usually right with his assumptions. Not having any better ideas about what to do, he decided to join his partner at the end of the bed. As soon as he settled down next to Will, he noticed him staring. 

“…Is something wrong?” 

“Your eyes are all red and swollen. Is your chest still hurting?” 

Embarrassed, Lion turned away, staring down onto his legs. He couldn’t explain the reason why but felt unable to confess that he had cried this much over him. 

“You too. Doesn’t your arm hurt?” 

There was a short silence before Will answered. He was probably unsatisfied with him dodging the question, but had apparently decided not to pry into the matter any further than Lion allowed to. 

“That’s what you’d expect, but surprisingly, it doesn’t hurt one bit. That Lambdadelta must’ve have done something to it.” 

“Witches are really something. You were close to death but with just one touch she fixed you up.” 

“I’ll have to thank her when she comes back, then.” 

“Yeah. Me too.” 

For a while both ceased to speak, deeply into each their own thoughts.  
This place where time stood still and no sound was to be heard would probably make most people uncomfortable. These two however, whose last few hours had been a merciless up and down of emotions and hardship with no time to think, indulged in those precious moments of peace. 

Especially for Lion, it proved difficult to get all his feelings and thoughts in order. A lot had happened. In the span of just a few hours his whole life had changed. His family was dead. He had died himself, not being able to uphold his promise to Claire. Lion knew it was far from over as fate was such a peculiar thing, tossing him around like a piece of wood in a stormy sea. The only thing he had left to cling to was the presence of the man next to him. Still, deep down inside, Lion was scared. Not hopeless, but nonetheless the wish to be saved, to reach that promised shore grew stronger by the second.  
Finally, he found the courage to voice out one of the many worries weighting heavy on his heart. 

“…What should we do now?” 

“Wait until Lambdadelta comes back. I’ll see how to deal with her.” Will replied calmly.  
“But for now---” he added, as if sensing the deeper meaning of Lion’s question, “---we’ll live on the best we can.” 

With his healthy arm he reached out and softly patted Lion’s head. “Don’t think too much about it.” 

Relishing in that much needed comfort, Lion shut his eyes firmly to prevent himself from crying yet again. “I’ll just get a headache?” 

“Yeah.” Will chuckled. “Crying is fine though.” 

“Didn’t you tell me not to whine?” 

“Forget that. You’ve been through a lot. It’s okay to cry at times like these.” Will caressed Lion’s head as if to underline his statement. 

It was mean. If he was like this, Lion could do nothing but give in to that gentleness. He had been raised to always stand proudly, but now fate had reduced him to this shameless crybaby who wanted nothing more than to throw himself into the arms of that stranger for comfort. 

“…Thank you.” 

Lion couldn’t help but give in. No, he wanted to give in. At the very last he allowed himself to be protected for just a few more minutes. Keeping his eyes closed, he leaned sidewards, resting his head on Will’s shoulder. 

“…your arm…I’m so sorry. I---” 

When the warm hand left his head and soon pulled him closer into an embrace, Lion knew he wouldn’t be judged. So he let it all out. It astonished himself just how much tears he still had left, but he cried and cried until his voice gave up and the cries turned into nothing more than gross sobbing.

Will didn’t say a thing. He kept silent the entire time, watching over him. 

Only when Lion had finally calmed down enough to enter a decent conversation, Will began asking more questions. How and under which conditions had they been saved? As his Watson retold the events so far, unravelling all that was still a mystery to the inquisitor, Will listened quitely, nodding here and there. 

"You did well with that bargain." 

"You think so?" 

"Entertainment itself is a highly loose term. What you find entertaining is up to people's taste. Since you two never agreed on a definition whatsoever, we'll have some room for debate in case it comes down to the worst." 

Lion nodded, feeling much better already. Back at that time, he hadn't actually given this much thought, but Will was right. They had more moves left than anticipated, so their position on the board wasn't as devastating as he'd previously assumed. Now for a set goal...

"Say, what d---" 

"TADAAAA! GUESS WHO'S BACK!" 

Without so much as a single hint announcing her return, Lambda burst back into the room. Surrounded by twinkling stars, she landed on the carpet, throwing a peace sign at her two newest pieces. 

Cursing their bad luck as they still hadn't formulated a fail-proof plan at all, Lion shuffled a few inches backwards, contrary to his partner, who had left his spot on the bed to check out their visitor. 

Not happy at all with such a silent greeting, their guardian puffed her cheeks.  
"What's with those faces, you guys? Come on! You there!"  
Lambda pointed at Will, a proud grin creeping up the corners of her mouth. "Don't you have something to say to your savior? 

"Yes, actually..." Will furrowed his brow as he bowed forward slightly, inspecting the girl's dress from a few meters distance "...what kind of theme is that supposed to be? At first glance it seems you were going for a sweet lolita look but then gave up on it halfway and just went for random halloween kitsc--EEEEEKKK?!?!" 

Lion had crawled down from the bed and pinched his partner's behind as fast as he could.  
"What are you doing?!" he angrily whispered at him, throwing a short glance over to the dumbfonded witch. There was a limit as to how insane a Sherlock could get.

"Excuse me, Lady Lambdadelta. What Willard here meant to say was: Thank you for your support! Please continue to take good care of us." 

With a firm grip on Will's coat, he pushed the protesting man along with him down into a more or less gracious bow. As expected, he'd have to lead the conversation again as his partner was apparently eager to get them killed by yet another witch.

Lambda clicked her tongue at their display, then threw only Will a displeased frown. "I sure hope you can keep your tongue in check next time. And here I was returning with gifts..." 

At that she held out her hand and with a single big POOF, Will's missing left arm appeared equally out of nowhere, just like the witch had before. 

Now it was Will's turn to frown as the young girl used his own hand to wave at him. Lion scrunched at the slightly morbid sight. 

"Hey. Gimme that back." 

Lambda threw his arm up into the air and caught it effortlessly, not paying the inquisitor much attention. "Too bad, I don't feel like you deserve this yet~" 

Up, down, up, down, up, down. As Lambda continued to fool around with his arm, she stuck out her tongue to it's owner, giggling like a child. Lion was pretty sure it was her way of getting revenge for having her dress insulted. 

"I'm not going to play fetch with you. If you like decaying flesh that much, keep it." Unimpressed, Will crossed his arms. 

"It's not decaying!"  
Despite the protest, Lion caught her glancing at the hand with skepticism nonetheless. 

"Maybe not yet, but it will pretty soon. Trust me, I've seen enough corpses in my lifetime. The stench will be really gross, but I suppose you're okay with that." 

"Eww, stop it..." 

"There might be some maggots coming out of it, too. Have you checked before picking it up?" 

Will's arm, that Lambda had thrown full force, hit him right in the face. It was a newly defined version of 'facepalming', but Will still managed to catch his hand as it recoiled and fell towards the ground. With a puzzled, almost inocent face he turned back to the witch. "What, you don't want it anymore?" 

"YOU'RE DISGUSTING!" Lambda, who had summoned soap and a basin, screeched at him. 

A little speechless, Lion watched the two of them bicker from the sidelines and wondered whether Will was the biggest idiot or genius ever alive. This meeting's progression diverged from his original idea to such an extend that he was at a slight loss of when or how to join in. But even without him intervening, Lambda quickly gave up on the inquisitor's filthy mouth and just re-attached the arm back to his owner's body with her magic.

"Ahhh, that's much better." Will stretched, fully content. 

"Does it hurt?" For now, the witch seemed to cooperate well, but Lion still had his doubts whether their new guardian had any real intention of actually helping out. 

"No, I'm perfectly fine. Everything's as good as new." 

"Then, how about thanking Lady Lambdadelta over there a little bit more sincerely?" 

He'd make them get along and if it was the last thing he'd do. 

"Fine, if you insist..." 

Will sighed, kneeling down in front of the witch: "...thank you for the rescue, mylady." 

And then, just like he had done with Jessica before, he took Lambda's hand into his, placing a reserved kiss onto the black satin fabric.

"WHA--!&?%" 

Will groaned as Lambda, purposely or not, kicked him in the guts, then quickly retreated to the other side of her room.

"Why?...why do I keep getting this reaction, urghh..."  
Will held his stomach as Lion helped him up, feeling a tad bit guilty. 

"Uhm, how do I say this...that gesture might be a little outdated, Will..." 

"Then tell me sooner, urghhh..." 

"What's with this guy?" Lambda complained, throwing her glove away into the trash. Her cheeks had turned a few shades pinker at the unexpected gesture. "The only one who get's to kiss my body is Bern, got it?" 

"Sorry for that." Lion apologized, sighing inwards. This was a such a mess. They wouldn't get anywhere like this. Time to take charge.  
"Anyway, I believe you mentioned multiple gifts? Is there anything else you want to surprise us with?" 

"Correct! At least one of you is reasonable enough to talk to." Lambda happily grinned at Lion, her obvious favorite, and pulled out an envelope, holding it up for the pair to properly see. "What do you think I got here?" 

"An invitation?"  
"An invitation." 

Will and Lion spoke in unison. 

"And who do think send this?" Lambda cackled, apparently enjoing her little guessing game. At least until Will openend his mouth, that was. 

"Can't you read? It says it's from Ushiromiya Battler right there on the front." 

Lambda's eyebrow twitched. 

"Now hurry up and tell us the content, that's what's most---mmpfff???" 

Even before Lion's hand had reached Will's behind, Lambda had magically closed his mouth like a zipper. Lion couldn't really blame her for that...

"Okay, one more time: Guess what this invitation says." As if nothing had happened, Lambda continued her game, ignoring the angry glare a certain archbishop shot her. 

"Since Battler is now a gamemaster, could it be that he's inviting us to a new game?" 

"Oh, good! Very good!" Imitating Erika's catchphrase, Lambda cackled. "I got invited to his party and I plan on bringing you two as my presents." 

"Really? We're going to see Battler and everyone again?" 

"MHHHPPF" Will struggled to throw in his own two cents, but in vain. 

"Sure. Beatrice and him have entertained me nicely those last few games, unlike Bern's failure of a detective. That was a first-rate wedding crash, if you ask me. So, I was thinking - might as well bring you two along as a small gift of appreciation." 

"We'd love to go, thank you." Lion accepted her offer happily. Things couldn't have turned out better. He'd get to see his family again, after all. 

"MHHH!" 

Lambda rolled her eyes at the inquisitor's antics. "How come he's THIS annoying even like that? I totally get why Bern wants to murder him, seriously..."  
With a snap of her fingers the spell was lifted. 

"Will, did you hear? We'll be able to see everyone again!" Barely able to supress his excitement, Lion beamed at his partner. Everything would be fine. Together, they'd surely figure out a way to fix all of this. 

"I was mute, not deaf." Will replied, rubbing the corners of his mouth. 

Lambda exchanged a quick glance with Lion. "Should I make him shut up again?" 

"I will consider it, thank you." 

"Are you teaming up on me? What's with this treatment I get?" 

Lambda rolled her eyes. Just what had she gotten herself into? Better deliver these two quickly. Dlanor had been such a fun, cute murder doll, how come this mystery wegde was such a headache? It was kind of cute though. The young Ushiromiya might not have noticed, but no matter how she moved, the archbishop had made sure to always stand between her and that kid the entire time... 

"You're a sly one, aren't you?" She finally adressed the inquisitor with full attention. "But sorry, we'll be leaving now, whether you like it or not. Time to crash that party, hahahaha~"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now, hope you enjoyed it. Expect the next chapter soon, I'm already at it! 
> 
> For those who might want to argue that Lambda seems a bit OOC in this one - remember the "nekomimi" voice drama from vol. 19? I almost died laughing at her reaction when Battler asked her how kids are made, so I imagined she'd probably be the same with some of the weird stuff Will does. (She freaked out, calling Battler a 'baka' over and over, then fled from the scene. It was super cute.) In the end, she's still just a child at times~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait!   
I struggled quite a bit with this chapter, mostly because just re-telling their moments from part 8 seemed really boring and pointless. So in the end, I decided to fill in the gaps that were not covered by the manga and/or novel. 
> 
> I always wondered at what point Lion decided to return back downstairs, going against Will's and Virgilia's order.   
I also find it very interesting that during all of part 8 he is always shown being with Will's group instead of being with his family. I mean...he could've just stayed up in the study and waited for Will and Dlanor to catch up or escape to the Golden Land with the others, but nope. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy and thank you so much for the support!

"You seem down." 

Startled, Lion looked up from his glass of orange juice. Lost in thought, he hadn't noticed Will return from his group of friends at all. 

"I might be a little...disheartened, yes." 

They had finally finished introducing themselves to every single one the attendees and were now watching the family members and furniture’s chaotic party from the sidelines. Well, Lion did, while Will had taken his time chatting with his former work colleagues. The blond Ushiromiya didn’t mind, he needed a break anyway. Social events like these were usually his forte, but this time his head felt utterly drained. 

"I warned you beforehand, didn't I?" Will took a sip from his champagne, leaning his back against the wall. So far, this had been a fairly peaceful event. Everyone attending Battler's new game was overflowing with happiness, running wild to their heart's content to a point that even the two of them had succumbed to a false sense of safety. 

"I know. I thought I came prepared, but I guess this is still hard to take in." 

\---- 

About half an hour earlier, the pair sat on Lambda's bed, impatiently waiting for the witch to summon them. 

"First up is me, I won't let you two steal my show~" the witch had exclaimed, before disappearing into nowhere. So, left alone once again, both had nothing better to do than sit around, waiting for their turn.

"I can't wait to see my sister." Lion broke into a big smile. "She's such a handful at times, but you know, I only just realized how much she means to me. Mother and father as well." 

"Lion." Interrupting his partner's rambling, Will let out a deep sigh. "I hate to tell you, but you do realize that we'll be visiting the gameboard of Battler and Beatrice, right?" 

"Yes, I know." Lion tilted his head, wondering about Will's grave expression. 

"That gameboard represents the events on Rokkenjima from October 4th and 5th in Beatrice's catbox." 

"Sorry, but...what are you trying to say?" The feeling that he'd overlooked something important didn't sit well with Lion, especially when Will beat that much around the bush. 

"You don't exist in that catbox. Your family most likely won't recognize you, so don't get too excited about this." 

"But, why? Even if they are pieces, they do remember all the games, don't they?" 

"Yes. All events on their gameboard. There's no way for them to know of anything that happens outside their catbox." 

"But...then what about my family?" As realization coldly seeped into into his body, Lion's heart grew heavy. 

Will shook his head. "They're Bernkastel's pieces now. Unless she decides to bring them along, you better give up on meeting them again." 

"..." His lips pressed together in a firm line, Lion hung his head. Will's harsh words were true. Logically speaking, he’d never see them again. Never talk to them again. Still, somewhere in his heart was this tiny hope that they'd remember him regardless. The bonds he shared with his sister, his cousins...would they really vanish just like that? 

"Not every hope is a strength that supports you. Sometimes, the more you hope, the harder you fall." Will warned. 

Contemplating the inquisitor's words, Lion balled his fists. Even if Will only meant well, to tell him to just give up like that didn't sit right with him. He wasn't dumb. He remembered all too well what had happened to Shannon, unable to let go of her hope. But did that really mean that he'd end up just the same?   
Determined, he faced his partner. 

"I'll take the fall then. But until I made sure that no miracle will occur, I won't give up."   
He had said that...but once he looked into the faces of the people he had until then assumed to know well was enough to make him realize just how much the latest events had hurt his fragile heart. 

His highly respected 'father', who was a misogynist failure of a businessman, going so far as to hide Kinzo’s death...

His strict but loving 'mother', who had caused his literal downfall countless times and who had harassed ‘Sayo’ on a daily basis…

Kyrie, who had murdered him in cold blood for some money…

And the list only went on...

\------

"Take it like this: your existence here made at least two people very happy. If it was worth the fall, then you should be satisfied." 

Lion took another sip from his juice. He looked over to Natsuhi. Sure, his mother had not recognized him at first. But then, upon introducing himself as her son, she'd immediately broken down into tears, hugging him tightly. It was a bittersweet feeling. 

"I doubt she'd mind if you kept calling her mother. To know that at least in one world she was able to love you must be nothing short of salvation to her." Will, who had followed his partner's line of sight, commented in a low voice. 

"I hope so." Lion closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Will did have a way with words as well. If only he'd use that talent a bit more often. 

There was no use brooding over things that couldn't be helped. Claire had asked him to be happy, so he'd try to enjoy this party in her stead, focussed on the miracle that had already occurred. Plus, he still had Will by his side. Even if nobody remembered his Jessica or his Natsuhi, Will had met them. He wasn't alone in this and he could still try to rebuild his lost relationships. Nothing was lost as long as they were alive.

"You won't forget them, right? The people you met in my story?" 

"'Course not." Will held out his glass. "And now cheer up. That depressed face doesn't suit you at all." 

Taking the offer, they clinked glasses to their very own private toast. 

"To our survival." 

"Yeah." 

\---------  
[Listening to: Dir]

Why did things turn on them like this? Why couldn't the people from the future let them live on in peace? 

Lion finally reached the study on the 2nd floor where his family had already taken refugee. Even from up here he could hear the fierce fight commence on the lower levels of the mansion. 

Frantically he looked around, always thinking, always on the lookout for something he could do to help. Kinzo and Gaap along with some of the adults were already doing a splendid job, shooting the goats that had tried to crawl up the mansion walls. 

'Go and protect your family' Virgilia had told him. In addition, he didn't want to end up a hindrance for Will and his friends, so he had obeyed and left them behind, but…  
Was there actually anything he could do here? 

How exactly was he supposed to help anyone? He'd spent his days studying, polishing his leadership skills, fighting his rivals in debates and badminton matches. How was he supposed to fight a horde of buffy goats out to kill him? 

A loud crash from down below made him jump. For sure, someone had just taken major damage. Straining his ears, he tried to make out some voices from the noise surrounding him, but in vain. He could only hope that it was the goats getting done in, not the other way round. Sure, Will might have lost to Bernkastel, but he and Dlanor had seemed rather confident, facing the goats with a glee that Lion had not seen on his partner's face before.   
Lion turned on his heel, moving away from the study entrance. It would be a problem if he got sidetracked by every noise coming from down below. 

"Beatrice! Anything I can do to help?" 

The witch struggled, opening the gate to the Golden Land with everything she had. As her other side of the coin, maybe he could be of use, or so Lion thought as he approached the witch. 

"Sorry, but I'm the only one who can do this." Beatrice pressed out through gritted teeth. Soon the smaller ones like Maria and Sakutaro would be able to escape. 

"Hang in there!" he encouraged his other self, spinning around. He'd protect his sister then. She was probably scared to death, looking for--- oh. Kanon was already by her side. Because Kanon had not existed in his world, Lion had almost forgotten, but this Jessica already had someone else to rely on. 

So, stopped in his tracks once again, Lion frantically looked around, searching for a place where he would be needed. But no matter where he looked, there just was no place for him. As if the world around him had detached itself from his existence, floating further and further away, he just stood at the study entrance, lost. 

The uproar from the battle below him had gotten quieter. Too quiet for his liking. 

It was when he heard Will's pained scream and Dlanor shouting the inquisitor’s name so loud that even the people in the study halted their movement for a moment, Lion realized. 

The place was NOT where he was supposed to be. This place was NOT where he wanted to be. 

To hell with Virgilia's opinion or Will's heroism! His lungs stung as dashed out of the study, almost flying back down the staircase. The still reasonable part of his brain shouted loudly that there was no way he could protect Will or anyone else. Even if he managed to reach the detective in time, nothing would change. 

Ushiromiya Lion had followed his elders’ orders his whole life. He also knew very well that going against Will’s and Virgilia’s wish without a solid reason or plan whatsoever was way too rash and would probably result in a scolding later on.  
It didn’t matter though. He was done just doing what other people told him to. 

He wouldn't let Will die alone, hiding away somewhere safe. They'd come here together, and if they'd die together in this battle, so be it. 

"RUN! WILL!" 

Not able to stop in time, Lion crashed against the banister, grabbing the rail firmly to stop himself from falling right over. Will lay on the ground, the goat towering above him ready to strike. 

Why didn't anyone help?! Where was Lambda when one needed her? 

Will attempted to lift himself up, probably planning to roll sidewards. He didn’t make it in time.

"WIIILLL!!!" Lion screamed as the goat slammed down his fists full force.

This couldn't be. This was NOT the end! He didn't want to be left alone. He didn't want to part just yet. The time he'd spent with the detective so far...it was not enough. He was just like the rest, a greedy human, wanting more and more and it was never enough. 

His heart stopped as Battler caught the goat's fist, mere seconds before it would’ve collided with Will's head. In awe he watched the beautiful golden truth eliminate the army of goats that had threatened to wipe them out mere seconds ago. Battler was right. This was THEIR game. He would decide the course of his fate for himself. 

Will groaned, holding his head as he shakily hurried to get back on his feet. The sight was enough for Lion to regain his sense of reality, rushing down the staircase, past Cornelia and Getrude, who, busy with the barrier construction, weren't fast enough to catch him. 

"Will! Are you okay?" Not waiting for an answer, Lion pulled the taller man to the sidelines, next to Dlanor who stepped up to shield them. "Get some rest, Willard. I'll take the next ones." 

"Thank you!" Lion shouted after her as the tiny girl swept back into action.

Will, who had sat down on the ground next to him, grumbled as he used his coat to wipe away the blood trailing down his face.   
"Idiot, I told you to wait upstairs." 

Lion reached him a handkerchief as he inspected the wound on the inquisitor's forehead. Luckily, it wasn't that deep. "I did, and I decided to come back." 

"You're not..." Will suddenly ducked, pulling Lion down with him as a goat flew past them, crashing against the wall behind with a load pang "...safe here." 

With the hectic battle and chaos unfolding once again all around them, it was a miracle in itself that they still managed to have an almost decent conversation. Lion tightly gripped the hem of Will's coat. "You said you wouldn't let go of me! If that is the case, then the same shall apply to me! I will not let go of you!" 

Simultaneously the pair jumped to the left, barely getting out of the way of yet another goat being brutally stabbed by the seven stakes. 

"Thanks but---" Will's protest was cut short by yet another goat. There just seemed no end to them. 

"Listen!" With the battle being extremely noisy, both had no choice but to literally shout at each other's faces in order to be heard. "We're either getting through this or die here together! That's the kind of fate I chose for myself, so you better respect that!" 

Lion tripped over a goat's severed head, almost causing him and Will to fall.   
Luckily the latter had somewhat recovered from his earlier blow to the head and managed to catch the blond, jumping sideways to reach Getrude and Cornelia at the staircase. 

"I got it. But do me a favor and keep yourself at least somewhat safe, okay?" he whispered into Lion's ear as he dropped him down next to the girls. 

"Okay. You too." Lion smiled back at his partner, who right after stormed off to assist Dlanor at the frontlines. 

\---------

[Listening to: Eternity]

The anchor crashed right through the ground, ripping apart the ground like a massive earthquake hitting from all sides. Nowhere was safe anymore. Lion watched the nothingness beneath them open up in shock as he clung to one of the gazebo's pillars for his dear life. The black hole rapidly grew bigger, like a monster's maw that invited them into it’s fangs. 

And just like that, the Golden Land crumbled to pieces, falling down into that pitch black abyss. Even then, he still believed that this was not the end. Battler, Ange and Lambdadelta were still out there, fighting. He couldn’t protect this place any longer, but he could still protect his heart. He'd believe that somehow Ange would make it, even if it wouldn't be in time to save those who had remained in the Golden Land. For them, who had defended their paradise to the last, there was nothing more to do but to accept that their game was now over. 

People all across the place shouted for their loved ones, cradling close to each other as they hugged each other tightly, praying for just one more miracle.   
Lion caught a glimpse of his sister with Kanon, his mother with his father, Rosa with Maria...that was good.   
Next to him were Getrude and Cornelia, who had splendidly kept him safe for the time being. Even they looked somewhat scared, calling for their superior who was nowhere to be seen. 

"Lion!" 

Finally. After having lost sight of him earlier, Lion now spotted the detective on his freefall down the abyss. Nodding at his friend, Lion slowly got up, trying to keep his balance for the few seconds he’d need to aim and jump. 

"Thank you two. I hope we'll see each other later." Lion waved goodbye to the two girls, then focussed and jumped forwards.   
Angling himself during his fall was not easy. Will stretched his arm out towards him and so did Lion until their fingertips almost touched. Just a little bit more. Just one more centimeter...  
"Hnnnn" Lion strained his arm, stretching every single fiber of his body. And then, Will finally got a hold of him, pulling him into an embrace." 

"Yo." 

"Hey." 

The two smiled at each other, suppressing the sadness that threatened to drown them. This situation sure seemed familiar...

"I still want to believe in a happy end." Lion mumbled, averting his eyes from the black abyss surrounding them. 

"Yeah. We'll be fine." 

By now they had fallen so far that the blue sky above them had almost vanished. All that remained of the Golden Land were the few pieces of ground and that raced past them. 

"Will you introduce Diana to me later?" Lion whispered into Will's coat, holding onto his partner tightly. There was no other way to keep himself from shaking. In the end, death was a scary thing no matter how many times he had escaped its fangs by now. 

"Sure. We can all have some warm milk and cookies." 

"Sounds good." 

"Yeah. I guess if I had to choose a fate, this one seems nice." 

"Will..." 

The detective carefully stroked his back. "Shh. It's okay. I won't let go."

Lion managed one last smile. "Mhh. Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter, but don't worry, the next updates will be much faster. I have already written the next 10 chapters or so, just need to adjust some small details and check for spelling etc. 
> 
> Also, I checked every single panel of part 8 from when the Golden Land is destroyed, but the last thing we see of Lion is him being with Cornelia and Getrude. The novel mentions nothing in this regard, but since everyone seems to be with the people closest to them, I like to imagine Lion and Will being together at the very end.   
[I might have been inspired by a very sweet pixiv doujin on this...]   
But still interesting that once again he's pictured with the mystery side instead of being next to his close family. 
> 
> See you in the next chapter! ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY LION!!  
I waited a day so I could post this on 29 November~ 
> 
> So, we're finally moving away from the novels and get into my own plot of "What if..."  
Also, rejoice, this chapter somehow ended up super long! 
> 
> I based my idea of "heaven" mostly on what we can see in Cornelia's side story (which made me love her and Getrude with all my heart, those two are so sweet, i can't ;A;). If you haven't read it, I found a read-along video on niconico, so here you go:  
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm24207946
> 
> Hope you enjoy! <3

They’d been falling endlessly, further and further down into the black pit of oblivion. He must have passed out at some point, because the next time Lion opened his eyes, he was back in the Golden Land. And it wasn’t just him. Even without long explanations he immediately understood. They had won. They were finally free. Overjoyed at their victory, Lion applauded Ange as she left with all his heart. Hopefully she’d find a way to finally become happy. Even as the door closed, the family members and furniture alike kept silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. It had been a long journey and while some had never given up on a happy ending – now that they’d reached it, it felt almost surreal. But there was also a sense of overwhelming victory and happiness spreading through everyone’s hearts, as the survivors slowly but surely broke into gleeful smiles and laughter. Needless to say, iIt didn’t take long before the atmosphere had changed into a rather lively celebration.

Lion found it very fitting for the Golden Land. With the heavy burden now fallen from his shoulders, his whole body felt weightless as his mind was overwhelmed by a sense of liberation and pride. His earlier promise with Lambdadelta now fulfilled and their savior back alive, he had no regrets left. And here they were, dead but still alive. Of course, whether their situation truly constituted as a “happy end” was up to the reader. For them, who had overcome so many gruesome games and had vanished from the board many times, this one final victory was all that mattered.

Erika with a shivering black cat in her arms vanished along with Featherine at some point. Or maybe they were still watching their story from a point hidden, who knew? As they didn’t pose a threat anymore, nobody paid them any mind.  
  
As time passed, the Ushiromiya family and servants alike gradually settled down here and there, indulging in their much needed rest. It was then, that Lion was finally approached by Will. The detective had been keeping his distance from the family, probably not wanting to intrude on their private conversations. The last time Lion had checked on him, he’d been far off, surrounded by the members of the Eiserne Jungfrau. From their serious faces, Lion had concluded that it was most likely something important or work related, so he had made sure to stay away as well. He didn’t want to be a bother and he had been educated to respect people’s private conversations. Nonetheless, when Will made his way over, slow steps and face serious, Lion’s heart grew heavy.

Most likely, the moment to part had arrived.

__"We can all have some warm milk and cookies"  
  
Will had said that, inviting him to his home. But, that had been empty talk, right? Nothing but pretty words meant to calm down a friend when they were facing death. There was no way he’d actually meant any of it, right?  
  
“We’re leaving.” Will stated, calmly waiting for his friend’s reply.

The warm, happy feelings left Lion’s body all at once, being replaced by a cold shiver that rapidly crept up his torso, gripping him tightly. The golden serenity behind him violently clashed with the tall man up front. This really was goodbye, wasn’t it?  
  
Lion knew he had deceived himself wonderfully all along. Just what was he doing, hoping for a future where he’d stay at Will’s side?

_Impossible. He has his own life. Who would bring home a stranger he’d just met? I don’t belong to his plane._  
  
Still, was there no way to make Will stay just a tad bit longer? Would he never see him again? Just a day longer, no, just a few more hours would be fine. Just...everything but this.

Lion bit his lip. If this farewell was such a sorrowful thing, wouldn’t it be better to get it over with as fast as possible? Lion swallowed the urge to ask for more time, steeling himself for the inevitable.  
  
“I understand. Make sure you pay a visit and show your face once in a while.”  
  
He tried his best to force a smile. Did his lips shiver slightly?

His opposite lifted his eyebrows in a surprised fashion, almost offended.   
  
“What, you want to stay here?”  
  
Now that came unexpectedly.  
  
“...where else could I go?”

Lion cursed himself. Manipulation wasn’t his style , but intentionally or not – in the end he had phrased his answer like that and Will had for sure noticed his intentions. His assumption turned out to be quite right, because Will let out an annoyed sigh, his expression returning to his usual deadpan look.

“I said I’m going to stay with you and I’m not planning to go back on my word.” A faint smile formed on his lips as he added, “If you want to come with us, feel free to. I’ve already discussed the formalities with Dlanor over there.”

Will pointed to the waiting group of girls with his chin as it dawned to Lion that right from the start, Will had never thought of leaving him. The one who had doubted his words had been him alone. But the promise made should last, overcoming even the story’s end. Relief spread through his body, and for the first time that day, Lion finally felt truly free – free of the shackles that bound him to fate. Beatrice’s resting place was here in the Golden Land. But not his. While her story came to an end, his had only just begun. He still had so many things he wanted to experience, so many places he wanted to see…

Unable to prevent his joy from showing, Lion answered with a radiant smile as he took the hand his partner had offered to him.  
  
“I can’t let Mr. Holmes do all the work on his own, can’t I?”

Will, suppressing a cynic remark, looked over to the crowd of humans and furniture, chattering loudly a few feet away from them.   
“Are you absolutely sure about this? I don’t want you crying on my sofa after two, three days.”

Lion turned halfway to take a good look at his family. Even when he was the rudest guy he knew, Will still had a point. This decision shouldn’t be made halfheartedly, or else regret was sure to hit hard. Lion glanced from Jessica to his mother, his father, Beatrice…  
He had expected this decision to be much harder, but he could say without hesitation that he didn’t feel like belonging there. It wasn’t that he felt unwanted or unwelcome, on the contrary, everyone he had talked to made an effort to treat him as family. They sure did, but…  
  
“They don’t even know me.”

Lion hoped he didn’t sound too depressed. He didn’t want to cause his savior any more worries.

“We can come back here and visit whenever you want.”

Lion nodded “Yes. Let’s do that.”

Regardless of his decision, it’d be really sad if he wouldn’t see his parents, his sister and everyone else ever again. But the thing he’d regret most would be to let Will slip out of his reach, to lose the only person able to understand what he’d gone through and who he truly was.

“Then it’s settled. Let’s go, we’ve made Diana wait long enough.” Will clapped his hands in high spirits, then turned on his heel, marching over to Dlanor at full speed. Lion stifled a laugh. That guy and his cat.

Despite Will’s apparent haste, Lion took his time to bid his family goodbye. Some family members seemed curious, yet nobody tried to stop him. Well, contrary to his own sense of guilt, his decision was probably not all too shocking from their point of view. He’d appeared with the inquisitor and now he’d leave with him.

Finally he caught up with his friend, ready for whatever would await him from here on out.

“Ready?”

“Yes. I’m looking forward to meeting Diana. Make sure to introduce me properly, I want her to like me.”

“As you wish.” Will replied without hiding the amusement in his words. “Let’s go, Shorty. Lion will be coming with us.”  
  
The family heir was glad to be trained in the arts of business negotiations, otherwise the almost penetrating, curious stares of the three girls going back and forth between Will and him would’ve sent him running. They were probably wondering what sort of relationship they had. To think that Lion would prefer the ex-head of the SSVD over his own family...it was very unusual, wasn’t it? Therefore, he was even more was grateful that they didn’t ask, be it out of respect for their privacy or because they were still at work.

“Then it’s settled.” Dlanor nodded, offering a handshake to Lion. “Let me introduce myself once more. I’m Dlanor A. Knox, head of the Eiserne Jungfrau. These two are my subordinates, Gertrude and Cornelia.”

“It’s a pleasure. Thank you for your earlier support, I’m very grateful.”  
  
Lion proceeded with the handshaking like he was taught to. “I’m Lion Ushiromiya, first child of Krauss and Natsuhi Ushiromiya and successor of the family head position.”

“If you’re done introducing then let’s go already--OUW!!” Will exclaimed as Lion pinched his butt.

“I know you just want to hurry home, but at least let me properly get to know your friends.”

“No need to pinch that hard! Jeez…” Will rubbed his behind while Dlanor and her group observed the weird scene in confusion.   
  
Waving, the group bid their last farewell before finally climbing some invisible stairs, higher and higher up the sky. Well, the inquisitors ascended – Lion was roughly picked up like luggage and pressed flush against Will’s torso.

“You guys better be careful, this one can be really brutal if you act out of line.” Will complained to his former co-workers.

“You’re the only one without manners here, Willard.” Dlanor stated, earning a low grumble from the tall man. Lion couldn’t help but grin at that. He had already taken a liking to the small girl.

As they ascended further and further – the Golden Land beneath them no longer in sight – Lion wondered what kind of place heaven was. Before all of this mess had happened, he had pictured angels and everything of the sort with shimmering white wings, clad in silky robes…  
But neither Dlanor nor Will had wings and their outfits were…well…  
He wondered what kind of shameless person was responsible for the Eiserne Jungfrau’s uniforms.

“Almost there. Close your eyes for a while, the passageway is really bright.”

“Okay.”

Doing as Will said, Lion shut his eyes tight, holding on to the inquisitor’s arm with all his strength. His heart was racing from the tension and his ears got cold from the wind that raced past them. And then at last, a silent ‘thud’ from their feet landing on solid ground announced their arrival.

“We’re there.”  
  
Excited like a little child just before receiving his presents on his birthday, Lion slowly opened his eyes, ready to accept whatever crazy fantasy world would spread out in front of him, but…  
  
“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?” Dlanor asked in return.

“…is this really heaven?”

“Confirmed, it is. Is there any problem?”

“No, I’m sorry. It’s just…different from what I imagined?”

Their landing place was a big, stone plastered plaza. To all sides there were various buildings, none of them particularly outstanding. Some of the smaller ones were shops, selling baked goods or stationery, some were living quarters. A few flowers were planted here and there, their blooming petals eager to take in the last red-ish rays of the afternoon sun.

It was quite busy around them. Many people – without wings – were out shopping, enjoying the cloudless, brilliant afternoon, the temperature neither too hot, nor too cold.

In short – the scenery unfolding in front of the Ushiromiya could belong to just any city on earth so high was the lack of anything unusual. Except maybe that nobody bat an eye at them seemingly appearing out of nowhere. On the contrary, some passersby recognized the Eiserne Jungfrau and excitedly whispered among their circle of friends, a clear expression of admiration displayed on their face.

“What did you expect?” Will inquired with a frown on his face, as if scolding Lion for having unrealistic expectations.

“I’m not sure. I’m not dissatisfied, though.” Lion quickly fixed his posture and expression. He didn’t want the others to think he was disappointed in their home. That’d be incredibly rude. “It’s not that different from my plane, I think I can get used to this quickly.”

Dlanor and her subordinates nodded reassuringly at his statement.

“I hope so. You have our support.” The small girl waved her hand at them.

“We’ll take our leave here. There’s a ton of paperwork waiting for me.” Her voice dropped a few octaves at the last part.

“Take care.” Lion, on his best behavior, bowed slightly.  
  
“Thank you. Willard, you also take good care of ….” Dlanor halted midphrase, mustering Lion from head to toe. “Excuse my rudeness, but are you a boy or a girl?”

Lion cringed inwardly. Not this again. How much he hated situations like these. No matter how much he tried to avoid the uncomfortable topic, it was inevitable, wasn’t it? He didn’t blame Dlanor though. She seemed like a considerate person and surely didn’t mean any harm.

“What do you th---” Lion started his usual counter question routine but was quickly interrupted by Will.

“Just leave it blank. Lion is Lion.”

Surprised, Lion’s head shot up, mustering the tall man. Did he just...?!

Dlanor seemed to understand the implication in Will’s answer. “I will do that then. Take care you two.” Shortly after, she along with Gertrude and Cornelia disappeared in the crowd, vanishing from their sight.

The younger boy inadvertently relaxed. This was such a relief. “Thank you.”

“Whatever.” Will waved it off. “Follow me, we’re going home as well.”

‘Going home’ itself turned out quite the struggle, with Lion hurrying to keep pace with Will, while simultaneously taking in as much of the city as possible. The detective strode along the paved streets with large steps, as if threatening to leave his partner behind should he become distracted by their surroundings. Damn that guy and his unfair long legs.

“By the way, what did you mean when you told Dlanor to leave ‘it’ blank?”

“She’ll be handling your paperwork. Since you’re going to live here you need to be registered at the Central Office.”

“Heaven is much more bureaucratic than I thought it would be.”

Will shrugged. “Trust me, nobody likes paperwork. Can’t be helped though, administration is necessary.”

“For taxes?” Lion joked. He had memorized the way from the plaza up until this point. So far so good.

“Yes, for example.”  
  
Lion abruptly halted, staring at Will in exasperation. “You’re kidding me?”  
  
Obviously not happy about being stopped in his tracks, Will answered shortly, gripping Lion’s wrist in an attempt to pull him along. “Of course not. You earn money, you pay taxes. It’s not different in your world, so where’s the problem?”

“Excuse me, there IS a problem! A big one!” Lion struggled but got pulled along nonetheless, his mission to memorize the way to Will’s place forgotten. Finally, the brunet stopped his tracks, paying his partner full attention.

“What’s your problem, Watson?”  
  
“I don’t have any money. I don’t even have a job!”

Will tilted his head to the left. “Yeah, so?”

Lion contemplated punching him in the face. Will was a detective; he must’ve arrived at the same truth by now. So why would he play dumb and make him spell it out?

“At least until I get a job, I won’t be able to financially support myself.” Lion explained, feeling mildly humiliated. Will should’ve warned him beforehand about that.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Will’s expression turned from impatience to a much friendlier note. “No need to worry about money. I was the former head of the SSVD, remember? If I didn’t have the necessary assets, I wouldn’t have quit my job.”

Even though Will’s words were reassuring on the surface, the matter bothered the Ushiromiya deeply.

“I don’t want to be a freeloader at someone else’s place.”  
  
“If you want to go and find work, I won’t stop you. But honestly, there’s no need.”

“…”  
  
When Lion hesitated in his answer, Will relaxed a little and approached him calmly. His hand touched the top of Lion’s head and gently patted him, just like he had done before.

“Don’t worry so much about everything. It’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want to end up being a burden to you.” Lion mumbled, secretly pinching his palm to stop his embarrassment from showing on his face. He’d for sure pay Will back as soon as possible . But for starters, maybe it was reasonable to leave matters to the inquisitor.

After taking a deep breath, Lion calmed himself before looking up at his taller partner.  
“I’m sorry for holding you up. Let’s go see Diana.” He’d solve the money problem later.

His hand back in his coat’s pocket, Will responded with a satisfied grin.  
“That’s much better.”

When they finally reached Will’s place, Lion had given up on mapping the area on the go. According to Will, they had landed somewhere close to Dlanor’s workplace in the 7th district, whereas Will used to work and consequently live in the neighboring 8th district.

While he had never been to England himself, from what he had seen in magazines and TV, the neighborhood would perfectly fit into a city like old London. Will’s rather small, unremarkable house was situated in a quiet street, a small branch connecting to the main passageways of the quarter. The pathway was beautifully lined with birch trees on each side. Their leaves dying in a variety of brown, a few of them already covering the neighbors’ gardens, announced the beginning of fall.

Will payed the fallen leaves to his feet no spare thought – he was currently busy fighting the entrance door in what could only be described as a nervous frenzy. He fished his keys out of his blue coat as fast as humanly possible, slammed them into the lock and almost kicked the poor door out of its frame before making a full dash for the stairway. Lion shook his head and, after properly locking the door behind him, followed the brunet upstairs. Once he had reached the 2nd floor, Lion took a sharp turn to the left and almost bumped into Will’s back. His friend stood frozen stiff at the living room’s entrance, having come to a screeching halt moments ago.

“Ughhh shit, I knew it…” An exasperated sigh left Will’s mouth as he facepalmed hard.

Lion, following his line of sight, arrived at the same conclusion. They were too late.  
The curtains were in tatters.

Furthermore, it seemed like an angry taifun had swept through the area, knocking books, decoration and stationery alike from the shelves and window sills. To say the place was a mess would be a massive understatement and it finally dawned on Lion, that maybe, just MAYBE, Will’s constant worries concerning his pet cat had been justified.

The young Ushiromiya couldn’t help but snicker at the chaotic scenery. “Looks like she missed you a lot.”

“Diana! Oi, Diana!” Will looked around the room, eyes on the lookout for the culprit. “She might be in the bedroom, I’m going to check.” With this, Will stormed past Lion, his tone a mixture of exasperation and worry.

Lion admitted to himself that he was becoming pretty fond of this side of him. Someone who loved his pet to this extend surely was a kind soul. Maybe he should offer a helping hand. Motivation high and equally curious, he picked up a few books that had fallen to the floor, stacking them on the small wooden table next to the antique, olive green couch in the middle of the living room. While Will was busy searching his cat, he would use the time to have a look around. The room gave off an air as if one had entered a very messy library. Three walls were lined with bookshelves, except for a small opening connecting this room to the rather narrow kitchen. They displayed a collection of mystery novels that would make even the most hardcore fans of the genre pale in envy. Even the desk in between the two windows facing the alleyway was buried under books, documents, coffee cups, leftover instant ramen…

Will’s steps on the hardwood floor announced his return.

“You should clean up once in a while.” Lion commented with a frown that immediately vanished at the sight of the two in the doorway. Will held a beautiful, very fluffy white cat in his arms, rubbing his scratch littered face. Lion broke out in laughter.

“What happened?”

“She’s pissed off and refused to come out from under the bed…”

Diana let out a loud meow, as if to complain once more about her owner’s late arrival. As she finally took notice of the additional visitor, she froze stiff. Lion held his breath. Suddenly, the Maine Coon struggled to get down, eager to check out that strange new creature that had so unexpectedly entered her kingdom. Will crouched down and carefully dropped her onto the floor.

Lion likewise lowered himself until his knees hit the floor and offered his hand to greet the fluffy princess.

“I rarely if ever have any visitors here, she might get scared. Move slowly.” Will instructed while settling down on the couch. The tension in his body didn’t vanish though, he was ready to intervene should Diana decide to let her anger out on Lion’s face as well.

Luckily, his help didn’t seem necessary. After shortly sniffing Lion’s hand, the cat approached the new guest without fear, letting him pet her head.

“I think she likes me.” Lion announced in awe, searching for Diana’s favorite spot.

“Try behind the ears.” Will suggested while observing the heart-warming scene in front of him. He was immensely glad that Lion hadn’t developed a fear of cats after all Bernkastel had done to them. It was nothing short of a miracle that they were able to relax at his home like this. His partner seemed to think the same.  
  
“I’m sorry I kept your owner busy for so long. Don’t be mad at him, okay?” he whispered to Diana, who had cuddled herself into his arms.

Will tossed a few documents from the couch, lying down on it in exhaustion.  
“I think it’s love at first sight.”

“Huh?” Lion mustered Will in confusion.  
  
“Diana. I think she really likes you. It took even me a while before she let me hold her like that.”

“I see.” Lion looked back down at Diana so that Will wouldn’t see his face. Dammit, why did he have to be like that? For a split second, he had misinterpreted Will’s statement to be meant for himself. Don’t startle me like that, idiot…  
  
“Do you think she’d let me pick her up?”

“Try it.”

Moving slowly in order not to scare her, Lion cradled Diana into his arms and lifted himself up from his kneeling position. At first, the cat seemed nervous, but after adjusting her position, she let Lion carry her over to the tiny piece of furniture in the middle of the room.  
  
“Make some space.”

Will withdrew his legs, lifting himself back up into an upright position. The couch was barely long enough for one person and his cat. With the number of people in his household increasing by one, he should consider getting a bigger one soon.

“Will.” Lion whispered excitedly. “I think she’s falling asleep.”

“I’m glad you two get along.” Will resisted the mysterious urge to pull closer to Lion and fall asleep right then and there like his cat.

“I’m starting to understand why you love her that much. Even if we need to buy new curtains.”

“She’s the best. As for the curtains…” Will yawned loudly “…let’s do that tomorrow.”

It was already getting dark outside and Lion too succumbed to his fatigue. It had been one hell of a long day. For now, he wanted nothing more than a bed and about 50 hours of sleep. Will seemed deadly tired as well. Too lazy to move or speak, Lion watched the napping man’s regular breaths as an unfamiliar warmth filled him. Strange how being here with the two of them felt similar to being with family. Of course, he didn’t think of Will as a father or a brother, not anything of the sort. Still, he felt like this was a place where he could belong. He just needed to get used to this world and then make sure to find his place in it.

_Would be nice, if it was right here…_

“You’re thinking too much again. If you keep this up, the frown will stay there forever.”

Lion, startled awake, realized his thoughts had drifted into a daydream. Apparently Will had woken up from his short nap without him realizing. When he raised his two fingers as a warning, Will hurriedly covered his butt.

“You’re lucky I don’t want to wake Diana.”

On a friendlier note, he then added, “Also, wouldn’t it be a problem for Mr. Holmes if his Watson didn’t use his head from time to time?”

Will responded with a wide grin “True. But I’m not telling you to stop thinking, just to stop worrying.”

“I’m not worrying.” Lion felt the sudden need to defend himself. There was no denying that he had shamelessly shown a rather weak side of his over the last few hours, but he still had some pride and strength left. He was by no means a crybaby.

“Your face was all weird--- OUCH!”

Lion had made his threat true. “Don’t insult people’s faces.” RUDE  
  
“Ughh, don’t pinch me.”

“I warned you, serves you right.” Lion huffed.  
  
Will answered with another stretched yawn. “Are you hungry? If not, I’m ready to pass out.” he changed topics.

Lion shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m fine. I’d like to sleep as well. Could you take Diana?”

Carefully not to disturb the happily purring animal, Will lifted her up into this lap, freeing Lion.

“Get out into the corridor and go straight ahead. The bedroom is at the end on the left. Opposite door on the right is the bathroom. I’ll sleep here.”

Lion straightened his back, examining the furniture. “Isn’t the couch too small for you?” If Will wanted to sleep on it, his legs from the knee down wouldn’t even fit.

“Nah, whenever I read long novels I tend to pass out and sleep here. I’m used to it.”

Lion contemplated, still not convinced. It was only good manners to leave the best room to the guest, but having Will sleep on this probably uncomfortable couch didn’t sit right with him.

“Would you rather have me share the bed with you?”

“!?” Lion blushed hard. Why did he have to phrase it like that? Idiot.

“No thanks. Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Sticking out his tongue as a farewell, Lion turned and left the room with big steps. No ‘Good Night’ for people who found it amusing to push him into uncomfortable situations. Actually, if the bed was big enough, he didn’t mind sharing. Despite his questionable sense of humor, Will had earned his trust. But just for tonight, the couch would be a fitting punishment for the detective.

It didn’t take long for the Ushiromiya long to retract his inner statement. As soon as he stepped into the neighboring room, spotting the small bed in the corner, he knew that they’d also need a second bed. He also concluded that Will rarely if ever cleaned up.

“What a mess…”

Clothes and work documents were strewn across the floor, here and there one would step on a cat toy if not careful and the drachea plant in the far left corner was about to die from dehydration. Another thing Lion had noticed right from the start. Judging by the amount of dying plants in the house, it was most likely that Will quite liked them, but was either too lazy or too forgetful to water them once in a while.  
Lion rubbed his temple, sighing. These were by all means not acceptable living conditions. He would take care of it tomorrow, and he’d make Will help him out, whether he wanted or not.

He had almost safely reached the bed without stepping on anything when he noticed another most embarrassing problem. The young Ushiromiya let out a frustrated groan before tip-toeing right back to the living room, where Will had already tried to fit his unfair long legs, Diana and a cushion onto the couch.  
When he spotted Lion enter, his eyes were twinkling with mischief and a playful smile hovered on his lips, as if he wanted to say “What, feeling lonely already?”

Speaking in the most dignified manner, Lion paid it no attention.  
“I didn’t expect be a guest somewhere. Would you mind lending me a pajama for tonight?”

“Oh yeah, right.” Will got up, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry, I didn’t think that far. We’ll need to get new clothes for you, huh?”

“A pajama is fine for now.” Lion protested, following Will into the bedroom. He didn’t want him to spend his money on clothes for him. He’d look for a job, secure his own income and then repay everything. Being indebted to someone, especially over a long time was a no-go, his father had taught him many times.

“Hm…let’s see, maybe if I give you the smallest one—OUCH”

Will had stepped on a cat toy.

“You seriously need to clean up.”

“I know, I know, shut up.” Will cursed in pain, rummaging through the inner chaos of his wardrobe.  
Finally, he handed Lion a white shirt and a pair of blue boxers. “See if one of them fits.”

“Thank you. Oh and be careful, there’s another toy next to your right foot.”  
Will picked up the toy ball and placed it on the drawer dresser. “Well then, call me if you need something else.” With this he left the room, taking his own sleepwear with him.

A short while after, Lion stood yet again at the living room entrance, an indescribable mixture of shame and hurt pride on his face. Only this time, Will didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement, snorting at the sight that was Lion in a shirt that was ridiculously wide, barely staying on his shoulders. One could mistake it for a dress, as it went far over his hips, showing only a tiny bit of the boxers, that – thank god – fitted.

“Don’t laugh!” Lion held the upper rim of the shirt, making sure it wouldn’t slip from his shoulders.

“What is it? Need something else?”

“Yes, actually…I need a toothbrush.”

“…”

“…”

It finally dawned on both of them that a shopping trip the next day was inevitable. Living together from one day to another wasn’t as easy as both had first imagined.

“I recently bought a spare set, I’ll show you where. Plus, I think you need some towels and…anything else?”

It took them almost ten minutes, looking around the bathroom and Will searching for things here and there, before they had arranged a provisional set of daily basics. They also had a clear overview of what they still needed to buy the next day. If he had been only half as tired then, Lion would’ve looked forward to it, but at that point the only thing he wanted was to get some well-deserved sleep.

The pair wished each other a good night for the now third and hopefully last time and crawled into their respective beds. Lion closed the curtains on the big window over his head, then slumped down into the cushions, FINALLY closing his eyes. The sheets smelled like Will. The cushions as well.  
Lion prayed that the messy man at least remembered to clean those once in a while. It wasn’t a bad smell at all though. Will smelled of old books, coffee and…maybe cinnamon candles? Lion found it very comforting.  
  
If all of this was just a dream, it was at least one with a good ending. Up until now, he had pinched himself enough that he should’ve known better, but maybe...just maybe, when he awoke tomorrow he would be back in the Ushiromiya mansion. He would wake up, dress himself, eat breakfast with Jessica and his mother, go to school, play badminton…  
No, that wouldn’t be bad at all. Will could come over and live together with them. He’d be the guest of honor and he would work as a detective on the mainland, solving many difficult cases with Lion at his side.

There was a smile on the young boy’s lips as he passed out, dreaming of an impossible, yet beautiful future.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!! First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who left kudos and/or comments! <3  
You have no idea how much it is appreciated, especially when I'm feeling down, which I've been a lot lately. 
> 
> @MeigAllo: Your comment brightened my day so much, thank you!!! It also really prompted me to keep on working on the chapters <3 
> 
> I'm unfortunatly diagnosed with chronic depression, so it might happen again that this story goes on unannounced hiatus for a while. No need to worry though, I will definitely keep on writing and finish my story, no matter what ^.~ 
> 
> So, speaking of, here is another long chapter to make up for the wait! Hope you enjoy~

“Ready?”    
  
Lion pulled the door shut behind him. “Ready.”    
  
The pair left Will’s house for their shopping trip, which served two main purposes: One was to get Lion fitting pajamas, a set of change clothes etc. and the other one was for the blond to get to know his way around the city.    
  
When Lion had awoken in the morning, he already felt immensely better and after taking a quick shower to wash even the last remnants of tiredness away, his head finally felt clear again. He checked his face into the bathroom mirror. The dark circles under his eyes were gone as well. Perfect. From here on out, it was a fresh start.    
Still, when Lion stepped into the living room, a deep, troubled sigh escaped his lips as he admitted to the fact that they needed to find a better solution for their little bed problem soon. Will had apparently fallen off the couch and was sleeping spread out on the floor while his cat claimed the furniture for herself. The Ex-Wright had not complained once during their breakfast – which consisted of toast with jam and cheese – but Lion surmised that he most likely had a sore back.    
  
The kitchen was another room that had been added to the Ushiromiya’s cleaning plan, for he got as close to a heart attack as a human could get when he stepped into it for the first time. Maybe angels had a different definition of what constituted as “clean enough” as Will had phrased it, but Lion wouldn’t accept the state of Will’s apartment for even one day longer.    
  
For now though, the two of them were strolling through the streets, enjoying the golden autumn weather. After much urging and insistence on Lion’s part, they had agreed that Will would cover any expenses until the former had the means to pay him back fair and square.    
  
“See that big oval sign over there? That’s the local mall. You can get everything you need from there.”    
  
Lion nodded, adding the piece of information to his internal map, which he was constructing on the go. His brain no longer strained and overworked, he was ready to take in as much new information as possible, concentration high to not miss a single interesting detail. One point of interest that had almost immediately caught his attention was the absence of cars. When he asked Will about it, the taller man had shortly replied that those were ‘not needed’, adding further to Lion’s secret theory of angels having wings invisible to humans, which enabled them to fly around whenever they wanted to.    
  
“What’s that big castle-like building over there?”  
Lion pointed at the far distance. He had already spotted that building yesterday, when they’d arrived with Dlanor.   
  
“That’s the headquarters of the Eiserne Jungfrau.”    
  
“Dlanor’s workplace, huh?” Lion thought it was very impressive. “Where’s yours?”    
  
Will turned to the left. “In that direction. It’s not as ridiculously outstanding as Dlanor’s place, so you can’t see it from afar.” 

“Too bad.”    
  
Their question and answer game repeated itself until they finally arrived at the mall that Will hat mentioned earlier. Upon entering the glass building, Lion curiously let his gaze wander around. At three stories tall, the center housed a ridiculous amount of all kinds of stores, every free space available plastered with advertisements, blinking lights and other eye-catchers to attract new customers. While he dealt with his overwhelmed senses, Lion stayed close to Will, careful not to get separated. Since they had come on a Saturday, the mall was packed with weekend shoppers, couples enjoying sweets at the many inside coffee stores and groups of friends gathering in the sitting areas. Most of them were really beautiful girls, Lion noticed. For a split second he wondered if Will had a girlfriend, but then again…judging by the state of his house and from the fact that all he ever talked about was Diana, it was safe to assume that he was single.    
Strange. Will was good-looking, successful and kind. Lion was sure he had been popular at his former workplace. But well, it was none of his business.   
  
“Should we get clothes first?” Will asked as they passed a fashion store that seemed highly popular with people Lion’s age.    
  
“Sure, why not.” Lion was more than interested in what kind of fashion was popular with angels nowadays.    
  
“Okay then.” Will handed Lion his brown leather purse.    
“Take as much as you need. I’ll be waiting at the café over there.”    
  
Lion tilted his head, slightly confused. “You’re not coming with me?”    
  
“Nah, you go alone.” Will stated bluntly, ready to take a leave in order to get his fair amount of caffeine. 

Lion didn’t understand. Why wouldn’t Will accompany him? He couldn’t think of a plausible reason. Was he ashamed to be seen with him? But why? Was something weird about him from the viewpoint of angels? Could people tell he was from another plane? Did he stand out without noticing?    
  
“…okay, I’ll try not to take too long.”    
  
“Take your time.” Will waved goodbye, leaving Lion alone at the store entrance.    
  
“…”    
  
Trying hard to just swallow his disappointment, Lion entered the store, looking half-heartedly through the shelves. He’d been looking forward to this trip, but it was only half the fun if Will was missing. To top it off, he was on the best way to develop some sort of ‘foreigner paranoia’. Nobody in the store seemed to look at him strangely though, and so he made every effort to shake off the uncomfortable feeling.    
  
_ Maybe he’s one of those guys who really hate shopping. _ _   
_ **  
** It could’ve been that. On these rare days when Lion and his parents had gone shopping at the mainland, he, Jessica and his mother would happily go from store to store while his father waited in the seating area, complaining loudly about how long they took.    
  
Surprisingly, the fashion in the store was not much different from what one could get on earth these days. Here and there, the clothes were a bit more outstanding, like Will’s blue coat for example. Which explained why people from the Eiserne Jungfrau could walk around in public without drawing unwanted attention. On the contrary, standing out seemed to be rather popular in heaven.    
  
When Lion left the store, he had bought two sets of pajamas, two sweatshirts, a cardigan (as colder days seemed to be approaching), change underwear, two pants and a new pair of shoes with a set of socks. Only the most necessary for now, but he still felt bad for spending so much of Will’s hard-earned money. The other problem was that heaven used a currency he had never heard of. For Lion it was impossible to guess the value of the amount he had just spent. Faced with this dilemma, he’d tried to pick clothes with the lowest prices he could find.    
  
As he sat next to Will at his table, instantly checking the menu card, he felt a bit relieved. If a normal coffee was 10§, then him spending a little over 500§ wouldn’t hurt Will’s finances all too badly.    
  
“Got everything you wanted?” Will took a sip from his favorite black coffee, as he had declared upon Lion’s arrival.   
  
“Yes, thank you.” Lion returned the wallet to its owner. “You should have warned me about the currency beforehand, but I think I got everything.”    
  
Will shrugged, then called for the waitress to order tea for Lion.    
  
“What does it matter? You need those things, I don’t care how much you spend on it.”    
  
Before taking another sip from his coffee, he silently added “Also, Dlanor’s going to kill me if she finds out I make you wear my stuff instead of buying you proper clothes.”    
  
Lion kept silent at that and only spoke when the waitress brought his Earl Grey. He wondered what kind of relationship Will and Dlanor had. Come to think of it, after what happened with Bernkastel he had considered themselves close friends, but the truth was that he knew next to nothing about the former Head of the SSVD. Which was why he had hoped to find out more about the mysterious man today.    
  
“You have a good taste for coffee shops. The tea is delicious.”    
  
“Hmpf, you said it.” Will answered with a proud undertone. “I’m glad you like it.”    
  
Lion took another sip, feeling the drink’s warmth spread throughout his body, pushing out those ugly feelings of disappointment from before. Will always told him not to worry too much, it was about time to take his good advice to heart. If only these doubting voices inside him would shut up and leave him alone.   
  
The two of them stayed for another 40 minutes, talking about currency, labor system, seasons, tea vs. coffee, everything that came to mind was a good enough topic and Lion was eager to learn. After a while, they went back to silently enjoying their second order of drinks while watching the people that passed them by. At one point, Lion thought he’d spotted Gertrude and Cornelia in the crowd, but the girls disappeared from his sight before he had a chance to ask Will for confirmation.    
  
“Well then, where should we go next?” Lion picked up his shopping bags, following Will out of the shop back into the mall’s main passage.    
  
“I don’t know. Maybe get you a toothbrush?” Will looked around, scanning the area for the closest drug store available.    
  
“That’s fine with me.”    
Lion hesitated for a second before asking “Will you come with me this time?”    
  
“Yep. I need some stuff as well.”    
**  
** There it was, the answer he had wanted to hear. Which also confirmed his earlier theory that Will just wasn’t interested in fashion shopping. Relieved, Lion had much fun checking out all the unknown brands and items which again weren’t much different from those on earth, but still, it was exciting. He felt as if he was on a holiday trip in a foreign country with Will as his guide and friend at his side. Plus, everything that served as a distraction from their previous race against death was most welcome. Lion knew he’d eventually have to properly face those past events, but now wasn’t the time. The sooner he could forget about those memories still lingering in his mind, the better.    
  
They’d barely left the store, when Will stopped dead in his tracks.    
  
“Huh, what’s wrong? Did you forget to buy something?” Lion wondered as Will seemed deeply troubled by his sudden realization.    
  
“No, it’s just…” Will took out his purse, handing it to Lion for the second time that day.    
“I’ll quickly go over to that bookstore and see if I can find something interesting.”    
  
“Sounds good, I’ll ---”    
  
“No, you stay here. If you still wanna buy something, feel free to.” Will interrupted him.    
  
“But I ---”    
  
“I’ll be back in 10 minutes.” With that Will turned and hurried down the hallway before disappearing into the crowd. 

“…Idiot.” 

Usually Lion wasn’t one to cuss and if his mother was here, he’d be scolded for words so unfitting for the future family head. But his mother wasn’t here. She was dead and Lion was all alone with his feelings.    
  
Ignoring the curious girls next to him who had overheard his words, Lion went down the hallway until he reached the next waiting area where he sunk into one of the comfy seats. He stared at his feet, trying hard to suppress the bitter feelings and thoughts. Why wasn’t he allowed to accompany Will? He wanted to look at the books, too. No, that wasn’t the issue here. Will was acting strange and he couldn’t guess why. There had to be something wrong with him after all. Lion angrily shoved the purse into his shopping bag. Stupid Will.    
  
Despite his growing frustration, Lion knew fully well that he had no right to complain. Will let a total stranger like him live in his house, bought him clothes and tea and never complained even once. He was very grateful for that, but… in the end, why did he feel so rejected?    
  
He didn’t have time to think about it any further. In the distance, Will emerged from the crowd, looking left and right in search of his friend. Lion stood up, waving.    
  
“There you are.” Will arrived, in his hand a small plastic bag which obviously contained one or two new books for his collection. “Ready to go home?”    
  
Lion put on a fake smile, nodding. “Yes, let’s go.”    
  
It was a short trip, but they already had enough bags to carry as it was. Buying any more would turn the way home into a hassle. So the two of them left the mall, Will in high spirits and Lion playing along. He had decided not to be childish and instead be grateful, even when the hurt feelings remained just a few centimeters below the surface. Their conversations weren’t sad either, he had a lot of fun talking to Will. Especially when he mentioned getting something for Diana on their next trip, Will’s eyes lit up as he thought about what to get his beloved pet.    
  
It was only when they put away their purchases at home, and when Will made one more comment while feeding Diana, that it became almost impossible for Lion to keep up his fassade.    
  
“Now that you know the way, next time you can go on your own. Feel free to take my purse, don’t worry.”    
  
Lion felt the grip on his heart tighten. Not sure how to react or what to answer, he left the room, sitting down on the living room’s couch. When Will came out of the kitchen, he grabbed a random book, pretending to read the first chapter with great interest. 

Will settled down next to him, keeping quiet as if he was waiting for something. When Lion continued with his act, he finally gave in.    
  
“Listen, I understand you’re upset with me, but unless you tell me what it is, we can’t fix the problem.”    
  
_ Shit. _   
Lion cursed Will’s good intuition as a detective that values the heart. Just this time he didn’t want to be figured out. “There’s nothing wrong.”    
  
“Then why are you pretending to read that book instead of facing me?” Will continued, making known that he wouldn’t let the topic drop so easily.    
  
“I’m not pretending.”    
  
“That book is written in Spanish.”    
  
Lion froze. He had just stared at the first page in a daze, not actually looking at the single words, but Will was right. He couldn’t read it at all.    
  
“So what? I speak English and French, it’s not unusual for me to speak Spanish as well.”    
  
“No. But that’s not Spanish, it’s German.”    
  
“But you just said…”    
  
Finally, it dawned on Lion that he had run straight into Will’s trap.    
  
“You lied to me.” The words came out harsher than intended.    
  
Will kept a perfectly straight face at the accusation. “You lied to me as well when you said you were reading that book.”    
  
Starting to feel deeply ashamed of himself, Lion stared at his hands. He knew Will was right. He knew he was acting all spoiled and selfish, and yet…

“What’s wrong?”    
  
“That’s what I want to ask.” Lion finally spoke up, gathering enough courage to meet Will’s questioning gaze. “What’s wrong with me?”    
  
“There’s nothing wrong with you.”    
  
“Liar.” Lion’s disappointment slowly but surely turned into bitterness. “If there’s nothing wrong with me, then why do you avoid being with me so much? Why take me here, then keep away? I don’t get it.”    
  
“Huh?” Will made a puzzled face.   
  
“Don’t play dump. You refused to go into almost all the stores with me, and now you’re telling me to go alone next time. There  _ has _ to be some kind of problem with me, otherwise it doesn’t make any sense! If you’re somehow embarrassed to be seen in public with me, then say it NOW. And if you---”    
  
Lion realized how all his previous thoughts and feelings flooded out of him, and while he thought that he was saying too much, that he needed to stop and shut up…he couldn’t.    
Therefore, he was almost glad when Will interrupted him.    
  
“Wait, wait, you’re misunderstanding.”    
  
“…how?”    
  
Will’s expression was serious. Lion knew he had no intention of lying nor was he making light of his feelings. He wanted to listen to what that man had to say.    
  
“First of all, sorry. I thought I was doing you a favor, but apparently, I hurt you instead. I should’ve noticed earlier.”   
  
“A…favour?” Lion repeated, stupefied.   
  
“You don’t want me to know about your sex, right? So, I thought that…well…” Will’s expression twisted into something close to embarrassment “...in case you need to buy bras and stuff, it’d be best if I wasn’t around.” 

Lion was baffled to say the least. “That’s the reason? But then, why couldn’t I come to the bookstore with you?”    
  
Will shook his head. “You’ve got it the wrong way ‘round. I thought you might want to buy something else from the drug store, so I figured I should give you some extra time to do it secretly.”    
  
“Something else?” Lion could understand the problem with underwear, but what could he possibly get at the drugstore that’d give away whether he was a boy or a girl?    
  
“Argh, do I really have to spell it out?”    
  
Lion’s state of confusion was enough of an answer, making Will look even more uncomfortable at his next statement. “Look, I just thought that maybe you needed tampons or whatever …”    
  
“Oh.”  It finally dawned on Lion what Will had tried to communicate before. He hadn’t thought of it exactly because as a boy he never needed stuff like that. But yeah, as a girl, he’d need to buy some of these things every month.  Lion felt his cheeks heat up. If possible, he wanted to vanish into the couch.    
  
“Will, I… I’m really sorry.” He blurted out, not even sure where to begin. “I didn’t understand what was going on and got it all wrong.”    
  
He was the worst. Will had gone out of his way to help him, going as far as avoiding situations where he’d accidentally learn of his sex and yet…   
  
“It’s okay. Don’t make such a pained face.”    
  
He was too nice, way too nice…   
His mother would have scolded him for days for his unfair behavior. 

“No…it’s not alright. I’m sorry I accused you of lying. You have every right to be angry with me.”    
  
“Then, how about you promise me something?”   
  
Lion looked up, ready to accept whatever it was that Will would demand of him.    
  
“Next time you feel hurt by something I do, tell me. I’d rather clear the situation before being called a liar.”    
  
“Yes, I promise. I’ll be honest with you.”    
  
“Good.” Will smiled in a satisfied fashion, before lifting the cat at his feet up into his arms. Diana let out a happy meow, licking Will’s wrist a few times before gracefully climbing over her owner’s legs right into the Ushiromiya’s lap. “See? Even Diana doesn’t want you to be unhappy.”    
  
Lion’s heart overflowed with emotions. He was so relieved, so happy, so guilty…   
He couldn’t speak, only nod and pet the fluffy white ball in his hands.    
  
“I don’t know what’s happening to me.” He finally admitted. If someone would be able to understand him, then it would be Will. Opening up to him couldn’t be a bad thing.    
  
“I’ve never been doubtful like this. But after all that happened…I think I was an idiot for accepting everything I was told without ever questioning if it was the truth.”    
  
Will contemplated for a few seconds. “I know what you’re getting at. You always believed to be Natsuhi’s child and that everyone would be fine with you being the next head. Finding out that this was not the case made you doubt your own judgement.”    
  
“Yes.” Lion confirmed Will’s deduction “I wonder if I should’ve paid more attention to everyone’s hearts. I just blindly accepted everything that was presented to me and treated it as the truth." His body visibly tensed up at his next words. "I wonder how many more lies I believed in back then?"   
  
“So, in other words, now that you lost faith in your own judgement, you’ve developed some serious trust issues?”    
  
Lion contemplated pinching him. Hard. If only his words weren’t so true.    
  
Sighing, Lion looked up at Will, straining to put a smile on his face.    
“Looks like it. Can I count on your assistance?”    
  
“Idiot.” Will frowned, displeased. “You think I’d abandon you because of that? I thought I had made myself clear when we faced Bernkastel.”    
Speaking these words without even the slightest hesitation, Will reached out, caressing Lion’s head once more. “I promise that I will never lie to you.”    
  
“…Thank you.”    
  
He’d said these two words so many times over the last few days, fearing he’d never be able to pay Will back for what he had done for him. Was it unfair to expect even more? Was he allowed to hope for his continuous support? Denial was pointless – he  _ needed _ him right now, the pain and trauma still ready to plunge him down the ocean of despair. But Will, who so effortlessly managed to touch his heart without passing judgement, didn’t  _ need _ him. He was fine on his own. Even with his arm ripped off, he still had managed to stand proud, shrugging it off as nothing. Unlike his own foolish self, Will didn’t fear to face the truth. He was strong. His emotional stability allowed Lion to heal, to accept his shortcomings and move on. Lion knew that whenever he’d lose sight of his path, whenever he’d fall down, Will would be right there to pull him back up.    
  
Diana stretched, using Lion’s shoulder as a lever to pull herself up. The young boy wondered, though in pain, what she was up to. A very rough tongue licked across his cheek fervently until Lion winced in pain. Even if it was an act out of pure affection, Lion - holding perfectly still - fought against the urge to push her away.    
  
“Ow…Diana...thank you but, it hurts…” Not sure how to react, he kept enduring the eager cat to his best abilities. Will picked a random book and pretended to read, back to his usual display of disinterest.    
  
After a short while however, having lost interest quickly, he tossed it away. His gaze went back to focus on the pair on the other end of the couch.    
“Seriously, I’m getting jealous over here.” Will pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. For a second, Lion wondered if he possibly felt left out.    
  
“Then help me out.” he whined. “I know she means well, but she’s going to tear off my skin with that razor tongue of hers”    
  
Will chuckled. “Help yourself. I’d be in trouble if my partner couldn’t even handle a single cat’s love kisses.”   
  
“Those are kisses of death, not love. Ouch, Diana, not there…”    
The Maine Coon had proceeded the cleaning procedure up until Lion’s left ear, leaving behind a slightly bruised, reddish cheek.    
  
“Well, love  _ is _ painful.” Will retorted jokingly. He was up for the challenge.    
  
“No, it’s not. It’s supposed to be gentle.”    
  
“If the model student says so…”    
  
Lion glared daggers at his opponent. He’d show that smug idiot.    
“And you’re what? The romance expert?”    
  
“Pfft…maybe?” Will held up both hands, taunting Lion with that fact that he had no means to find out.    
  
Well, if he thought so, he was wrong. Lion’s lips spread into a grin, sure of his victory.    
  
“I can prove that you’re not.”    
  
Will lifted his eyebrow. “Oh? Then let me hear your deduction, Watson-kun.”    
  
There he was, acting all high and mighty and superior again.    
  
“Van Dine’s 3 rd .” Lion proclaimed. “It is forbidden for a love interest to exist.”    
  
Will’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you trying to beat me with my own wedges?!”    
  
“Got you, didn’t I?” Lion looked down at his opponent, enjoying the oh so sweet victory and even more so Will’s priceless face.    
  
“No, you didn’t! My life is not a mystery!” Will protested, repositioning himself into a more aggressive stance.   
  
“Well at least to me, you’re a complete mystery. You can’t deny that kind of truth.”    
  
Diana hopped from his lap, having been forgotten by the bickering pair. This was a fight between two detectives. None of them gave up an inch, determined to give their opponent the lecture they deserved.   
  
Fine. If Lion wanted to fight dirty, he wouldn’t hold back either.    
  
“Van Dine’s 10 th ! It is forbidden to have a culprit that is not a prominent part in the story!”    
  
Lion flinched. Will had elegantly turned the tables around. Even if he had a lover, it had to be someone he already knew, someone who had played an important part in the events so far.    
  
“How’s that? I’m not a mystery after all and you can’t prove nothing.”    
  
“ Blue truth! ” Lion exclaimed, dramatically pointing his finger at Will. “ It’s Dlanor! ”    
  
“WHAT?! Why would I be with Shorty out of all people?” Will reached out and slapped Lion’s finger away.    
  
“Ouch. No need to get physical you brute.” Lion complained only half serious. Actually, this was quite fun. “Van Dine’s 19 th ! The motive must be a personal one.  You’re into short girls !”    
  
“You little…” Will’s face was strained, his struggle to come up with a counter argument showing.    
“Van Dine’s 1 st ! It is forbidden to have a crime without all clues presented! There’s nothing that points at me being with Dlanor.”    
  
Now it was Lion’s turn to pout. “You’re not playing fair! A love interest is not a crime.”    
  
“She’s a small kid and I’m a grown up.”    
  
“Ugh…”    
  
Will leaned in closer, grabbing Lion’s chin with a smirk. “I’ll admit that you’ve got some guts. However, it’s a few years too early for you to challenge me.”    
  
Lion’s heart almost skipped a beat at the sudden proximity. Was that part of the game? Will probably wanted to intimidate him into submission, laughing at Lion for being a kid not able to handle a little tension. As If he’d let himself be humiliated. He’d show him some fighting spirit!    
  
Preparing himself for a counterattack, Lion gripped Will’s collar firmly, pulling the taller man even closer. “Don’t take me lightly. I’ll show you.”    
  
“Fine. How?”    
  
“Huh?”    
  
“Why don’t you show me then? What you think a true lover’s kiss should be like.”    
  
Lion’s pulse accelerated, his face heating up as if someone had turned up the temperature full power. Will was joking, right? This was a game of endurance, to see which one of them would give in first. If he wanted to be accepted as an adult, he needed to be more aggressive, putting the arrogant man into his place. Time to turn the tables once more.   
  
“You’re the self-proclaimed expert. How about you show me first?”    
  
When he saw something flash up deep inside Will’s eyes at his challenge, Lion instantly knew he had fucked up. Even if there was indeed a second of hesitation on Will’s part, everything after happened too fast for Lion to even protest. As soon as he had spoken the cursed words, the brunet leaned in, slowly licking across Lion’s cheek.    
  
“??!”    
  
With a shriek, Lion pushed Will away, his heart almost bursting from the sheer feeling of being overwhelmed, a variety of conflicting emotions all overflowing at once.    
  
Struggling to keep his balance in vain, Will unceremoniously fell from the couch, almost landing on Diana. The alarmed cat barely escaped to the side, then sprinted out of the living room, leaving behind her two owners to their own dilemma.    
  
“Y-you’re impossible!” Wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, Lion struggled to calm down.    
  
Will, on the opposite, did much better. Calmly getting up into a sitting position, the nonplussed man scratched the back of his head. “To be honest, I’m a little surprised at myself as well.” He only sounded a tad bit sorry.    
  
“Don’t startle me like that!”    
  
Will shrugged. “You asked me to kiss you.”    
  
“I didn’t  _ mean _ it!”    
  
“Hmpf. That’s your own problem.” While claiming that, Will quickly licked across his lips. Shortly after a victorious grin was plastered on his face as he got up, not taking his eyes off the trembling blond mess before him.    
  
“I’ll go get some snacks. Use that time to cool off your head.”    
  
“Get out before I pinch you.”    
  
Fearing for his butt’s safety, Will quickly retreated into the kitchen. If he himself hadn’t been the one at fault for starting their embarrassing quarrel, Lion would have smacked that idiot into oblivion.    
The way things were though, he could hardly blame anyone but himself for stepping up to a game he was not yet ready to play.    
Honestly, he would’ve never expected Will to have some sort of playboy-ish side to him. For Lion, who never in his short life had experienced any real romantic relationship, the quick “kiss” was enough to send his emotions down a roller-coaster.    
  


“Unghhhh…”    
Not sure what to make of his feelings, Lion got up as well, wobbled down the hallway, entered the bathroom and drowned his face in cold water. He needed to regain his composure quickly, or else Will would make fun of him forever. He wasn’t a child, he had just been startled, that was all. Unconsciously his hand found his cheek again, lightly touching the place Will’s tongue had…   
Immediately burning up again, Lion grabbed the soap, ready to scrap this embarrassing memory right out of his face if necessary.   
  
When he returned to the living room, Will was already sorting through books, putting them back into their rightful places in the shelves.   
On the now usable couch table, two glasses of coke and a bowl with chocolate cookies had been placed next to each other. Lion strolled over, taking the liberty to taste one.    
  
“Sorry.” Will turned around, mustering Lion from head to toe. He probably noticed the still wet tips of his bangs but chose to leave it uncommented. “I went a bit overboard.”    
  
Lion swallowed down the last cookie crumbles with a big sip of coke, not quite sure what to do with himself. “No, it’s okay. I’m to blame as well.”    
  
“I won’t do it again without your permission.”    
  
Lion looked up, meeting Will’s eyes. He really did look sorry. At least this managed to help Lion calm down, feeling better already.    
  
“Don’t worry, you didn’t hurt me. You just scared me a little, that’s all.”    
  
The younger man picked up a few books here and there as well, offering them up to his sceptical partner. “Come on, let’s get to work and clean this mess.”    
  
“As you wish.” Will’s guilt-ridden voice was gone, being replaced by his usual rough undertone.    
  
_ This was how it was supposed to be, right? _

Feeling a little proud, Lion smiled into himself. After all that had happened, he painfully had come to the realization that he had never really understood – no – had never made the effort to understand the hearts of the people around him. He hated how ignorant he had been. But it was never too late for a change. At least that’s what he wanted to believe. And just now, he had tried to comfort Will who had felt bad about himself.   
  
Yes, this was good. He wanted to forgive his past self as much as possible, even though it was too late for repentance. Everyone from his world was dead, no matter how much it pained him, he couldn’t ever make it up to them. Nobody would be able to forgive him.   
_I need to become someone better. So that I will not betray Claire and Will’s faith in me. So that I can forgive myself in the place of mother, father, everyone…someday.__  
_  
He hadn’t told Will, not wanting him to worry, but there was a tiny little voice of blame inside his heart. The more he fought to ignore it, the harder it clung to his heart, refusing to leave him alone.   
  
_If I had paid more attention to everyone’s true feelings…If I had paid more attention to their hearts and had talked to them more...then maybe all of this wouldn’t have happened. Maybe my world could’ve been a happy end kakera, where nobody had to die._   
  
Sure, he wanted to be the next Head of the family. He had been raised to be ready for that and diligently worked on being a model student that his family could be proud of. Someone strong, ready to shoulder any burden. He had been looking forward to the day he’d take over his grandfather’s position. But not at any cost. If it had meant an end to the inevitable tragedy, he would’ve gladly given up on his right as successor.   
  
“Not sure what you’re thinking about, but can it wait? You wanted to clean this room.”   
  
“…”   
  
“What? What’s with that weird face you’re making?” Will backed off a few steps.   
  
Lion let out a deep sigh, clearing his head and heart.  
  
“Nothing, you’re right. It’s time _WE_ get _YOUR_ mess under control.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter, hope you enjoyed! I had so much fun writing their little fight using Van Dine's rules~ (I bet you thought he actually kissed him hehe~ Sorry, but with me its either the longest slowburn ever or downright PWP...) 
> 
> I really love Will's kindness. It's really interesting, because he's straightforward to the point that he comes across as rude/ruthless sometimes, but then there's this other considerate, protective side to him. I feel like his whole introduction is about it. He comes in and critizises the hell out of the inquisitors, then pats that maid's head and you get the image that deep down he really cares about people in his own way. Remember how he tried to console Rosa after her confession? As I first read that part, it came really unexpected and even for Lion it was some sort of turning point as he said "Now I've got a little better opinion of you." 
> 
> On the other hand, I always felt that Lion would have a hard time after everything is over. For the other pieces the nightmare finally ends. For Lion? I think, the real depth of what happened only just begins to sink in. He lost everything in the span of half a day and moves to a completly unknown world with a man he's know for a few hours. That's not easy to handle, even for someone as pro-active and optimistic as Lion.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter for you to make up for the wait~ 
> 
> It's a bit shorter, but still important when it comes to Lion's and Will's relationship. I'll never get over how sweet they are together ;////; 
> 
> Fun side story:   
When I adopted my two cats a year ago, I considered naming one of them Lion. In the end, I didn't feel like explaining to every vet for the rest of my life that - NO, it's not the animal, it's Japanese and pronounced Lee'on - so I settled for 'Lian' instead. Which, in all honesty, was a terrible idea, because now I constantly mix up those two names x'3  
When I get angry I always accidentally scream "LION!" and my cat is just like 'bitch i don't know who that is'. Then I re-read my last written pages of fanfiction and there's 'Lian' written everywhere. Whelp.

Lion collapsed onto the couch face down. It had taken them 4 hours. FOUR HOURS. And they had only finished the 2 nd floor.    
  
“Move.”    
  
Will’s foot met Lion’s side, threatening to kick him off his favorite furniture.    
  
“No. I’m exhausted.”   
  
“I’ll just sit down on your legs, I swear…”    
  
Will was ready to die. He had never realized just how much of a mess his apartment had become over the years of diligently avoiding chores and cleaning altogether. While he had organized all the loose documents and books, strewn across the whole 2 nd floor, Lion had taken the ungrateful task of cleaning upon himself. He’d done a great job though. The kitchen was now spotlessly clean, books, magazines and papers had been neatly sorted into the shelves and Diana’s toys were now stored in a big cardboard box in the corner of the room. To top it off, Will had been forced to vacuum, Lion already busy cleaning the windows.   
  
“Ungrateful.” Lion stifled a yawn.    
  
“There’s only one couch, learn to share.”    
  
As much as Lion tried to put up a tough front, in the end he was still soft at heart. Pulling his knees towards his chest, he made enough space for his partner to barely fit next to him.    
Will slumped down, holding his stomach which had been growling louder and louder over the past 5 minutes. As if encouraged by the sound, Lion’s stomach joined in.    
  
“Wanna order some food?”    
  
“Mhhh, sure. I’m not in the mood for cooking right now.”    
  
“You can cook?” Will sounded deeply surprised.    
  
Rolling over so he’d lie on his back, Lion observed Will’s expression. “You thought I was so spoiled, I couldn’t even cook?”    
  
Will nodded. “Well, if I was wrong then that’s a big help. Because I can’t.”    
At least he was being honest about it.    
  
“I kind of figured by the amount of empty cup ramen lying around.”    
  
Will shrugged, stretching his long arm to reach the sideboard behind him. “I had a busy job. Pre-cooked food is fine with me, I don’t see the problem.” Fishing around in the top drawer, he found what he’d been looking for and pulled out a small leaflet.    
  


“See what you want, but make it quick before I die.”    
  
Lion took the paper, checking out the various dishes that were offered. Again, not much different from what he was used to.    
  
“I think everyone, be it a man or a woman, should at least be able to cook some basic dishes.”    
  
Will refused to answer, only waiting impatiently for Lion’s order, the phone’s receiver at hand.    
  
“I’ll take #34.” Lion neatly folded the leaflet and handed it back to Will. Obeying his old habit, he almost tossed it behind the couch but – remembering that they had JUST cleaned – he paused for a moment before putting the paper back into the drawer. It took Lion all he had not to laugh at that. Apparently their intense cleaning session had been a lesson well learned for Will.    
  
It didn’t even take 15 minutes for their order to arrive. Using stone, paper, scissors to decide who had to get up and pay the delivery girl, Will returned with two huge pizzas in hand, earning a bright smile from his new roommate. Diana curiously joined them, purring loudly in an attempt to earn some treats for herself. Lion caught Will sharing some of his bacon slices with her, which only confirmed his suspicion that this was probably their usual lunch routine.    
With Lion’s help, Will carried the bedroom TV into the living room, repositioning it in front of the couch so that they could spend the rest of the evening watching TV.    
Lion quickly slipped into his new, light green pajama and made himself at home. The prospect of just sitting around, doing nothing was pure heaven. He needed emotional rest like Will’s plants needed water. Their owner had already changed into sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt. He unenthusiastically zapped through the programs, Diana cradled into his arms, before settling for a nature documentary. Even in his homewear he still looked somewhat cool and it made Lion slightly jealous.   
  
Satisfied, Lion wrapped himself into the fluffy blanket he’d brought from the bedroom and enjoyed the serenity. Glancing sidewards a few times, he noticed how Will’s face had taken on a content, relaxed note as well. If he could have something like this every day from now on…no, it wasn’t that bad. Not bad at all. 

Another documentary and two teas later, both Will and Lion said their good nights before crawling into their respective beds. Lion had offered Will to switch and take the couch for that night, but the Ex-Wright had turned it down, arguing that he’d sleep better when surrounded by books anyways. A blatant lie, obviously, but Lion didn’t have enough energy left to argue. He rubbed his eyes and turned off the light on the nightstand. Unlike yesterday, he wouldn’t pass out but slowly sink into sleep, happy and grateful for that wonderful evening. After all those crazy things that had happened, he felt that those simple, normal situations in life were the best.    
  
When he closed his eyes, the image of Bernkastel chaining him to a theater seat with just a snap of her fingers flattered before his inner eye and he grimaced. That was something he was better off forgetting about, so, with all his might, Lion focused on this pool of warmth in his stomach.  _ I’m safe now. It’ll be fine.  _

Or at least so he’d thought. In truth, reality was a bitch and when later that night he woke up screaming, a clearly worried Will already by his side, he realized that healing would take much more time than anticipated. 

As he and Will slowly but surely settled into something that could be called a daily routine, enjoying their days drinking tea and playing with Diana, the nights continued to be merciless.    
No matter how hard Lion tried to focus on something that made him happy as he drifted into sleep, soon the nightmares would take over. And they were only ever getting worse.    
Every single night, Lion would wake up screaming, panting and writhing, tangled up in the bed sheets. Will was either already at his side or would storm in soon after. It was stressful to say the least.   
  
To top it off, Will was just useless. While he had a certain talent at understanding people’s hearts, his analytical character got in the way when it came down to actually comforting someone. You couldn’t reason nightmares away, and, as much as the logic in his words made sense to Lion, he could do nothing but hope the problem would somehow solve itself.    
  
“Maybe you need to see your family in the Golden Land. I think you’re still not over the fact that they can’t remember you.” Will suggested, dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. It was 3 am and the pair sat on Lion’s bed, engrossed in something that closely resembled a brainstorming workshop.    
  
Lion shook his head in defeat, sighing. “I already told you so yesterday, that’s not going to work. I’m feeling fine during the day, I’m over it.”    
  
“Obviously not.”    
  
“I AM.” That came out harsher than intended, but the frustration was directed at himself. Lion could only hope that Will understood that.    
  
“Fine, as you wish.” Will lifted himself up, checking Lion’s condition one last time.    
  
“I’m sorry…” the blond mumbled, the guilty undertone revealing his thoughts all too well. He was sure Will was getting fed up with having to take care of him all the time. Maybe he even regretted saving him, for now he was stuck with his emotional issues as well. Lion was happy being with him, but the other way around…Will for sure had planned out his life after retirement differently.    
  
Said detective halted at the door frame, turning back at Lion’s words.    
“Don’t sweat it. Just know that those dreams are what they are – just dreams. Don’t let them control you.”    
  
Lion nodded. There it was again, the undeniable logic in those words. If only he could follow through.    
Tired, he lay back down, heart still beating fast.    
  
He remembered that one terrible nightmare he had as a child. The contents of it long forgotten, only the sheer terror of it remained in his memories. He’d cry and wail, breathless, until his mother came running into his room. She’d cuddle him close, soft voice whispering words of love until he fell asleep again.    
  
\-----   
His world was dark. There was no light, no sound, nothing. Then he heard it. That familiar, creepy laughter, echoing through the night. He needed to turn on the lights fast before she could find him. Lion ran through the darkness for what felt like an eternity, always surrounded by that cold cackling of a witch hidden from his sight. Suddenly, his left hand brushed against a wall. Desperate, Lion blindly felt around until he found the light switch. Thank god. With this he would be safe.   
Lights illuminated the world around him, stealing his breath at once. What he had thought was a dark night turned out to be a huge chapel, filled with the brutally deformed corpses of his family. Wearing a twisted face, Bernkastel teleported to his right. Lion screamed at her. WHY. WHY?! But the cruel witch grinned, pointing to his feet. Lion followed her line of sight, his heart breaking. Next to him lay Will…or at least what was left of him after someone had torn of his limbs. Lion broke down, crying and yelling but the witch continued to laugh at his misery. Then he noticed. His hands were red, bloodied…   
“Good job killing them.” Bernkastel snickered.    
NO. It wasn’t him! He’d never…    
_ It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me! It wasn’t--- _   
\----

“Lion!”    
  
The young heir shot up, checking his heavily blurred surroundings in panic. His heart hammered against his ribs, racing fast. 

“Another nightmare?”    
  
Lion focused on the figure in front of him. He couldn’t speak, but he was so glad, so relieved that this person next to him was alive…   
  
Rubbing his temple, Will settled down next to Lion, careful to leave enough private space between the two of them. His partner was shaking, clearly not fully there yet.    
  
“This can’t go on.” He didn’t mean to complain, but Lion’s state pained him. Even more so because he had no idea how to deal with anything that wasn’t a mystery.    
  
Fighting to catch his breath, Lion held his hands close to his chest as if protecting his vulnerable heart.    
  
_ He’s still shot, _ Will thought to himself.

“Do you think she’s able to come here?” Lion’s quiet voice, nothing more than a faint whisper, caught the detective’s attention.   
  
“As far as I can remember, no witch has ever tried to pass the gate to heaven.”    
  
Lion smiled in a bitter fashion. “So, in other words, you don’t know.”    
  
“Tch.” Will looked away, searching for the right words to say.    
  
“She’s lost interest, probably has forgotten about all of us already.”    
  
Lion didn’t seem convinced. “She lost against Ange. She’ll come get her revenge on us. Do you think she’ll find us here? What if---” He stopped with his rambling instantly when a warm hand touched the top of his head.    
  
“I’ll make sure to protect you in that case. I won’t let her hurt you ever again.”    
  
Lion looked down, even sadder than before.    
“In my dream…you were dead. I thought it was Bernkastel but then I realized: I killed you…” his voice began to tremble “I don’t want that, Will.”    
  
“I won’t die.”    
  
Lion kept silent, struggling to accept the older man’s words.    
  
“We’ll call for Dlanor and her squad as well. There are many powerful people here. It’ll be fine.”    
  
“Promise me. Promise you won’t die…that you won’t leave me alone.”    
  
At that, the hand that had previously been on his head took his hand instead and held it firmly. “So many promises, really…but I’m glad you finally spoke to me about those nightmares.”    
  
“Aren’t you scared of her?” Lion felt silly for asking, but he couldn’t imagine how anyone could face that witch so selflessly as Will had done. Ange too…   
  
“ ‘Course I am. Who wouldn’t be scared of a crazy cat ready to gouge out your eyes? “    
  
That came as a surprise. Lion looked up at Will, who was closer than expected. “But---”    
  
Will shook his head. “Fear is a necessary element in order to survive. You can’t, no, you shouldn’t try to get rid of it. Accept your fear and act accordingly.”    
  
“Accept my fear and act accordingly?” Lion repeated, letting the words sink in. Will affirmed with a nod, forcing a thin smile despite his exhaustion.    
  
“In that case, maybe if…” Lion quickly looked away, hiding his blushing face.    
  
Will tilted his head. “What is it? Did you realize something?”    
  
Lion shook his head. “No, forget it, it’s nothing.” He was infinitely thankful for the weak nightstand light, which barely illuminated the bedroom. Just the thought of voicing out his idea made him squirm. Will wasn’t his mum. Nor was there any way he’d ever say something so embarrassing.    
  
“Want me to sleep here, watching over you?” Will joked in an attempt to break the silence, clueless about how right he actually was. Lion almost jumped at those words. He needed to deny it immediately. He thought so but, …his heart wanted the opposite. If he kept silent any longer, Will would notice. He needed to say something NOW. Was it yes or no??    
  
The awkward silence was so thick, one could cut it with a knife and oh god, he could literally _ feel _ the older man staring.    
Then, Will made the decision.    
  
“…Fine. I don’t mind.”    
  
Lion remained silent, staring down at his sweaty hands as Will crawled under the bed cover. Ready to go back to sleep he gestured for Lion to get under the blanket as well and the young heir obeyed hesitantly. Keeping as much distance to the other person as possible on such a tiny bed, Lion shifted below the cover. Was it really okay? The fact that both of them were men should’ve calmed him down, but strangely enough, Lion could feel the pulse of his racing heart all up to his ears. He blamed it on the nightmare.    
Will held up his arm, making space for Lion to come closer if he wanted to. And – fuck it – he wanted exactly that. Not being able to face Will or utter a single word, Lion shuffled closer, finally burying his bright red face into Will’s chest. 

Without hesitation, Will turned off the lights and pulled the covers over them before embracing Lion gently. If the latter had wanted to, he could’ve freed himself from the touch very easily. Instead, he refused to even move an inch, frozen stiff.    
Will’s even breathing announced that he was about to drift back to sleep. He hadn’t gotten much rest thanks to Lion’s nightmares and was probably dead tired. Lion, barely able to relax, closed his eyes shut. He was exhausted as well. If he was lucky, he’d just pass out and when he woke back up, Will was already up and gone so he could go on pretending nothing had happened.    
If his father could see him right now, he’d surely drop dead out of shame. Only children were allowed to sleep in their parents’ arms when scared of nightmares. Lion was almost 20. Unacceptable.   
  
“Fucking relax already, I won’t eat you…” Will mumbled into the cushion, but Lion still managed to catch it. He knew Will was just tired, not actually mad. It was unfair to keep him awake any longer, though.    
  
“Mhh, trying.” His mumbled answer was just as quiet. Another deep breath, another shift until he felt truly comfortable and soon Lion was overwhelmed by drowsiness. 

* * *

  
Extra: Lion's pajama is the cutest, and if you don't believe me, here's proof:   
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep saying this, but I absolutely love Will and Lion's dynamics and chemistry. They match so well, I remember how the novel says that "even though they just met, they got along as if they'd been friends for a long time" or something along that line.  
On the other hand, I think that living together, they'd definitely get into fights from time to time (nothing serious though). They are both strong-minded and can be quite stubborn. I think in their relationship, Lion would be the one to give in and suggest a compromise with Will going along with it.

“You kicked my butt! TWICE!” Will gulped down the last bite of his sandwich, giving Lion a reproachful look.

“In my SLEEP.” the blond, refusing to take any blame for Will’s hurting behind, crossed his arms. 

“It still hurt.” 

“It’s a small bed, it happens. How long do you plan on sulking?”   
  
“I’m not sulking, I’m telling you to leave my ass alone!” Will let out his anger on the freshly cooked breakfast egg, hammering its shell into tiny pieces with the spoon.   
  
Lion watched the scene with a mixture of pity – for the egg – and disapprovement. “Stop saying 'ass'.”   
  
“Ass.”   
  
Lion lifted his hand in a dramatic fashion, making pinching movements much to Will’s horror.   
  
“Seriously stop that. My a---butt hurts enough as it is.” 

“Look, I won’t apologize for things I did unconsciously.” With a sigh, Lion’s hand sank back down. After finally getting some sleep, both their appetites and energy had returned. When Lion woke up, Will had already retreated onto the living room couch, complaining and whining about Lion being a ‘violent sleeper’.   
  
“…Let’s get some damn furniture.” Will buried his face into his hands, rubbing his temple.   
  
“At least we got the rest we deserve. But yes, I’m all for new furniture as well.” Lion felt a tiny bit guilty because Will would have to spend money for his sake yet again. On the other hand, he’d never gone furniture shopping before. Next to it having a certain adult-ish charm, furnishing your own house sounded like a lot of fun.   
  
Said and done, half an hour later both left the house, more or less ready for another shopping trip. Will was still sulking secretly, kissing Diana a long goodbye before he let the door smash into the frame. Lion grimaced at the sound.   
  
“Let’s do this and then never leave the house again.” Will stuffed the keys into his coat, making his way down the path with long strides. He was obviously in a hurry, not paying attention to Lion’s efforts to keep pace.   
  
“You’re a shut-in?” 

“Almost. But honestly?” Will looked up at the sky “I hate this kind of weather.” 

Indeed, an array of greyish clouds blocked out the sun, drowning the city in an unpleasant foggy atmosphere. Not many people were out, avoiding the humid air that made Will’s bed hair curl slightly. It’d probably start raining soon, which reminded Lion that they should’ve brought umbrellas along. They were lucky though, arriving at the massive furniture store before any rain could fall.   
  
“You’re excited about this, huh?” Will commented upon entering the living room section, strolling along behind his partner. He looked bored as fuck.   
  
“I am. How could Mr. Sherlock tell?” 

“One, your eyes are sparkling.” Will dropped down on a sofa that had caught his interest. “Two, your pace doubled as soon as we got here.”  
  
“Excuse me for having fun.” Lion joined him on the couch, testing its size. “Isn’t this one too big?”

Will stretched his legs, careful not to dirty the fabric with his boots. “I need to be able to sleep on it as well. Let me have some space to turn around.”   
  
“You want to keep sleeping on the sofa?” Lion lifted an eyebrow in surprise. 

“Where else should I sleep?”   
  
“Weren’t we getting another bed for you?”   
  
Will rose up, back to his feet. With a swift motion, he smoothed out his slightly creased coat. “You don’t mind sharing the bedroom?”   
  
“No, it’s fine with me, don’t worry.” Lion shook his head “Plus, we can’t have your behind suffer any more than this, can we?” he joked.   
  
Will grimaced “Make fun of me all you want, but I’m never getting back into that bed with you ever again.”   
  
Lion silently shook his head, leaving for the bedroom section. The more time he spent with Will, the more of his less heroic but rather troublesome sides came to light. Which was completely natural of course - being around each other 24/7, it was no wonder that sometimes they’d go on each other’s nerves. Will could be downright stubborn and childish and combined with Lion’s inability to let certain things go, they ended up in deadlock situations pretty fast. They were still only just in the process of figuring out how to deal with the other in uncomfortable situations. It didn’t help either that their habits didn’t sync well. Will loved to laze around all day and sleep in, while Lion was an early bird, always looking for things he could do around the house to keep himself from dying of boredom. Well, it couldn’t be helped. For now, Lion chose to ignore Will whenever he was acting like a 5 year old and it worked out fine most of the time.   
  
“Here we are.” said troublesome inquisitor yawned as they finally arrived at their destination.   
  
Lion held back the childish urge to throw himself onto the canopy to his right. It was too big and fancy for them anyways. “See one you like?”   
  
Will quickly glanced from bed to bed, shrugging his shoulders. “I liked my old one, I’ll keep it. You choose one for yourself.”   
  
“Oh right, this way makes more sense.” Lion rejoiced at the suggestion, his unmotivated attempt at keeping composure most likely unsuccessful. He wasn’t fooling anyone, least of them Will. Striding through the various rows of furniture in zigzag-lines, Lion had no idea where to look first. This was an important choice and he was determined to find the best piece out of all of them. He sat down on a few beds here and there, testing the mattress and size, always followed by the Ex-SSVD Head. Finally, he settled on a favorite.   
  
“I like this one.”   
  
“What’s so good about it?”   
  
Lion rolled onto his back, facing Will. “It’s super soft. Come down here, it’s great!”   
  
Will didn’t move an inch, displaying exactly zero motivation to listen to the blond’s request. “If you like it, we’ll get it. We’re done, right?”   
  
“No.” Lion frowned. “Get down here, you’re stifling my fun.”   
  
Will clicked his tongue, begrudgingly sitting down next to Lion. “Sorry my enthusiasm towards beds doesn’t meet your standards.”   
  
Lion pouted. “I just want you to have some fun, too. I feel bad if it’s only me.”   
  
Will gave up, laying down onto the mattress as well. “…It’s soft.”   
  
“Isn’t it?”   
  
“I think Diana would like it as well.”   
  
Lion giggled. “I was under the impression this was my new bed?”   
  
Will rolled onto his stomach. While the white framed bed wasn’t exactly meant for two people, it wasn’t as tiny as Will’s former one at home. Lying next to each other, there was still some small space between them. Giving no answer, Will closed his eyes instead.   
  
Lion rolled over onto his stomach as well, paying more attention to his partner’s facial expression. “Hey, are you still tired? If you need a rest, we can leave.”   
  
“I’mh fine…” Will mumbled against the mattress, yawning once again. “This one is perfect.”   
  
“Too bad, it’s mine now.” Lion could already see Will slowly but surely trying to claim their new bed as his once they’d be back home.   
  
Will opened his eyes, grinning at a confused Lion. “We’ll get two.”   
  
Lion laughed, satisfied. “And who was it who didn’t even want to try sitting down at first?”   
  
“Shut up.”   
  
“Just admit I was right. I’ve got great taste for furniture.”   
  
“Tch. Whatever.” 

It didn’t take them long to spot a store assistant, mainly because by the time they got off the bed Lion realized how they had long since caught the attention of everyone around them. Of course, why hadn’t he thought of that? They were still in public…  
The sales lady’s expression when congratulating them on their new beds only confirmed Lion’s hunch. A young pair like them testing beds while grinning and giggling like love-sick teenagers would inevitably be mistaken for a couple. Receiving suggestions for the same bed in king size version “for later” wasn’t helping his inner turmoil either. While Will, sitting next to Lion across the sales lady’s desk, handled their order flawlessly, Lion wanted to vanish into the ground immediately. _ How is he keeping a straight face like this? She thinks we’re a couple too shy to share a bed… _   
Lion made prayers for his mom and dad to forgive him for his unbecoming self. Even when they left the store, a couple girls passed them a secret envious glance, whispering among their little circle. 

“You’re all red.”   
  
“I’m hot.” Lion was out of the store faster than getting in. He could never ever get back here. Not when he had to face that sales lady again.   
  
“Good, because it’s raining.”   
  
Lion stopped dead in his tracks, finally paying attention to his surroundings. Will’s comment was quite the understatement. It wasn’t simply raining, it was pouring. Judging by the dark clouds covering the sky as far as one could see, it also wouldn’t stop anytime soon.   
  
“Run?” Will suggested dryly.   
  
“Do we have another choice?”   
  
“Nope. Unless you want to get back in and chat some more with that lovely lady. I bet she’s all eager to sell us matching cups as well.”   
  
Lion shivered at the idea, unconsciously rubbing his arms. “Okay, let’s run.” 

“Thought so.”   
  
Just as Lion mentally prepared himself for a sprint, awaiting Will’s starting sign, something dark and heavy landed on his head.   
“?!”   
Lion grabbed the strange thing covering his entire upper body. He already had a hunch what it was, and he didn’t like it one bit. Soon, he held the dangerous attacker in his hands. It was Will’s coat.   
  
Lion gazed from the clothing to a very amused looking Will.   
  
“Thank you, but I don’t need it. You’ll catch a cold.”   
  
Will shook his head. “Nah, I’ll be fine. You take it. It’s not waterproof, but it’ll help for the time being.”   
  
Lion shoved the coat back into Wills arms. “I appreciate the thought, but I can’t accept this.”   
  
Clicking his tongue, Will pushed the item back into Lion’s arms. It almost fell down. “Why are you so stubborn, just take it.”   
  
“I’ll be fine. It’s just some rain.”   
  
“You’ll get soaked and catch a cold, I call it.”   
  
“And you won’t?”   
  
“I’m not good at taking care of sick people, it’s best if you do that.”   
  
“Excuse me you two…”   
  
“WHAT?” Will, after pushing his coat onto Lion for about the tenth time, swung around, his voice loud with annoyance. 

The sales lady was unimpressed, showing him and a very bewildered Lion a professional smile.   
  
“We sell umbrellas in section three. They can fit two people, don’t worry. How about it?”   
  
“…”   
“…”   
  
Will and Lion looked at each other, back to the sales lady, then back to each other in silent agreement.   
  
“Thanks, we’re good.” Lion at least had the manners to refuse politely, chasing after Will who had broken out into a sprint without another word. Even at full speed, it took him a minute to catch up.   
  
“You’re fast.”   
  
“I’m captain of the badminton team. I’m still in good shape, don’t forget that.”   
  
“Cheeky brat.” Will laughed in between short breaths, speeding up further. It’d be difficult for Lion to keep pace, but he was up for the challenge.   
  
By the time they arrived at Will’s front door – Will was first by only 5 meters winning margin – they were completely soaked from head to toe. Even Lion, who in the end had succumbed to wearing Will’s coat – was dripping wet. Out of breath they stumbled into the hallway, breaking down onto the staircase. For a while, only the sound of dripping clothes and their labored breaths were to be heard.   
  
“I’ve got to hand it to you, you’re much faster than I’d thought.” Will admitted, not in defeat, but rather proudly. Lion could only smile in reply, trying hard to catch his breath.   
  
“Achoo!”   
His sneeze reminded them that it was October and they were freezing.   
  
“Ugh, let’s get up before we catch pneumonia.” Will grabbed Lion’s arm, pulling him up along with him. 

In the living room, a yawning Diana greeted them from across the room. Now cleared of rubbish, she’d settled down on the window sill, watching the pouring rain run across the window in unpredictable lines.   
  
“Wanna take a hot bath?” Will suggested. His scarf was unceremoniously thrown to the floor, followed by his socks and shirt. “Don’t just stand there, get out of those clothes.”   
  
His pants fell to the floor as well. Lion couldn’t help himself but stare at the well-build man in front of him, only wearing boxers. Damn it, he really had nothing to hide, hadn’t he?   
  
Will’s eyes met his and Lion hastily pretended to look at Diana behind him. “A bath sounds nice, I’ll take the offer.”   
  
Even though the detective’s face clearly read ‘did you just check me out?’, he was considerate enough to keep his mouth shut for once. Instead, he left the room, returning soon with two towels, one for Lion and one for himself. “You get in first.”   
  
Will sneezed and hurried to dry his dripping hair. Lion had already turned on the heater full power, but it would take a while for the room to become cozy and warm.   
  
“No need to always put me first. You get in.”   
  
Lion wanted to get out of his sticky clothes, but there was no way he could just undress like Will did. Plus, he was already getting sick of all the favors done by Will, most likely out of a misunderstanding.   
  
“Why are you always so stubborn? Just get in the damn bathtub, don’t make it complicated.”   
  
Lion summoned up enough patience to not start another argument. “You’re stubborn as well when I tell you not to mind me. There’s no need for this gender-based courtesy.”   
  
Will furrowed his brows. “What, you think I’m being nice because I believe you’re a girl?”   
  
Lion nodded affirmative, resulting in the brunette rolling his eyes.   
  
“I'm not treating you like a woman, I’m treating you like a _guest_. How is that not to your satisfaction?”   
  
Now it was Lion’s turn to sigh. How could he make him understand?   
  
It was difficult due to their difference in height, but somehow he still managed to reach Will’s head. Patting it softly for a few times – much to Will’s bafflement – Lion voiced his feelings as honestly as possible.   
  
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m more grateful than you could ever imagine. But I don’t want to be a _ guest _ forever. We’re partners, right?”   
  


“…geez, you’re quite something.” Will gazed down at Lion, softly. “I’ll treat you like a partner then.”   
  
“Thank youUwah ??!” Lion, relieved to be understood and about to express his gratitude, was suddenly lifted up. “Will, w-what are you…”   
  
Unimpressed, Will carried the protesting Ushiromiya – bridal style to top it off - down the floor into the bathroom, releasing him straight down into the filled bathtub. “As your partner, I insist you take a bath first, even if I have to resort to drastic measures. Warm yourself up, bye.”   
  
Lion, too perplexed by Will’s sudden action, just gaped at the man’s retreating figure until the door closed and he was alone. _Uhm…okay then?_   
Not sure what to make of the situation, Lion got out of the tub to undress in hopes Will wouldn’t return too soon. If he ever found out that Lion was male, he’d probably feel really stupid about his actions.   
  
Unwillingly Lion caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Despite knowing better, he kept staring at this foreign figure giving him a displeased look. There it was, the sole cause of all his complexes. That definitely was the body of a man. But the face didn’t fit. He’d once cut his hair short to make his gender more obvious but it looked ridiculous and everyone made fun of him for it. It didn’t help how some people kept mentioning how he’d make a pretty girl. In the end, his young self had thought the same. Wasn’t it unfair that only his little sister got to wear those pretty dresses?   
  
Lion scrunched at the resurfacing memory. His father had exploded into a rage fit as he ran into his 6 year old son, wearing Jessica’s dress in the mansion hallway. It was by far the angriest he’d ever seen Krauss, getting scolded for hours without end, all crying and sobbing in vain.  
  
So, in ordner not to get into trouble again, Lion had kept from doing ‘girly things’. Regardless, the more he grew up, the more troubled people seemed to feel about his gender. Answering their repeating, sometimes insulting questions was hard. Obviously, he was a boy. He wasn’t allowed to be anything else, anyway. But no matter how hard he tried, everyone surrounding him noticed his own indecisiveness. No matter what, he never felt 100% male. There were days when he imagined being born female. Would he be more content then? Would he live without complexes, without feeling so restricted? But then, he wouldn’t be able to take over the position as the next head of the family.   
  
Lion got up on his toes. If he was as tall as Will, would things be different? He was too slender for a man as well. An idea came to mind. Was the state of his body the result of…  
Even thinking about that one cursed word made his insides churn. _Incest. _If his appearance hadn’t been troubling him before, now he downright hated this body of his. Another word came to mind._ Impure._   
  
The Ushiromiya tore his gaze away from his reflection. He felt disgusted enough by now. He absolutely had to keep all this from Will, no matter what. There were a few instances when Will had almost ran into him changing, being too careless for his own good. He really needed to be more cautious.   
Sighing, Lion climbed back into the bathtub and sank down deeper, enjoying the warmth enveloping his body up to his ears. His practised pattern of distraction and repression was a great help as usual and soon he managed to relax, daydreaming until almost falling asleep. The image of a half naked Will wouldn’t leave his mind…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for some fun trivia?  
That fist part is actually written from my own experience. A few years ago, during my stay in Japan, I went on a Kansai trip with a friend and he accidentally booked a single bed instead of two separated ones for our first hotel stay. We shared the bed, he's gay, I'm lesbian, no problem, right?  
So, the next morning I wake up and he's super frustrated, rambling on about how I apparently kicked his butt multiple times in my sleep. Needless to say, he kept sulking about it for the rest of the day lol. So yeah, that part about Lion being violent in his sleep is a little self-insert on my part ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, SORRY for the long hiatus!!   
What to say? Covid-19 didn't exactly help my mental wellbeing, plus, I also fell back into Soukoku shipping hell :'D
> 
> A huge thanks to everyone who left kudos or a comment <33  
It also got me thinking that I need to clarify one more thing about this fic:   
I DO believe that Lion would identify himself as 'nonbinary' IF the story was set in our modern times.   
But since this story is written from Lion's perspective in 1986, Japan, I highly doubt that the discourse during that time was as progressive as nowadays. With the misogynistic environment he grows up in and Japanese school practically demanding that you decide on a gender (talking about school uniforms here), I'm pretty sure he'd have to identify himself as either male or female, which only adds to his internal struggle. Hope this clarifies my point concerning the 'Lion's gender' debate ;) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter, next ones will follow soon ~

“Yo Shorty.”    
  
Dlanor’s hand slightly twitched at her guest’s greeting, but she remained bowed down over her desk littered with mountains of documents. In the back of her huge office, Gertrude and Cornelia could be seen hasting from shelf to shelf, busy to keep everything in order. Their job sure was a hectic, yet boring one.

“Willard. I suppose you didn’t come here to just say ‘hi’?”    
  
Will felt bad for intruding during those stressful business hours – as a former archbishop himself he remembered the workload all too well. Scratching the back of his head, he leaned against Dlanor’s desk, earning himself a scolding glance in return.   
  
“Nope, sorry to disturb. I’ll make it short: I want to know why I still haven’t received Lion’s residential card.”    
  
Dlanor’s stamping hand finally halted in its movement. “It’s difficult, as expected.”    
  
“Even for someone of your ranking?” Will wondered. He’d assumed that if the Eiserne Jungfrau’s Head herself handled the bureaucratic bullshit procedure, things would go smoothly. 

Said bishop made an apologetic face, turning on her chair to fully face Will. “I’m sorry, but I’m having some trouble receiving the Great Court’s approval. There’s only a handful of exceptions when a human has been allowed into this plane so far…”   
  
“…and they can’t figure out whether Lion meets the criteria or not.” Will sighed deeply.    
Of course, it wouldn’t go as problem-free as he had hoped. Bringing someone from another plane out of a whim was unheard of after all. Maybe he shouldn’t have let the Court known at all.   
  
“The cat that is alive and dead gives them a headache?”    
  
Dlanor nodded, her gaze passing from Will to her two assistants. “That about sums it up. I have reasons to hope that it’ll go well though, so don’t worry for now.” 

“Excuse me Sirs, but Dlanor-san, what about the documents for case B45?”    
  
The Eiserne Jungfrau’s Head went back into work mode in less than a second. She pointed her finger to the far right. “Second shelf, third row from the bottom. Get me the originals, no copies.”    
  
“Yes, Sir!” Saluting, Cornelia hurried away, down the aisles.    
  
Will, feeling no longer welcome, buried his hands in his coat. “I’ll take my leave then. Thanks though, I owe you one.”    
  
Too bad. He’d hoped to return home with better news. Not that Lion had any knowledge of their trouble to have his permanent residual status acknowledged by the Great Court. His promise to never lie making things difficult, Will had no other way but to hide such things from him. Troublesome.    
  
Dlanor was already focused on her next task, not looking up from the pile of documents that was shoved on her desk by Gertrude. For a short moment Will wondered if she had forgotten about him. Then, she lifted a hand, signaling him to leave. “You’re welcome. I’ll call you once I receive status confirmation.” 

“Allright. Counting on you then.”   
  
Willard strolled out of the room and Dlanor shook her head at his behavior. It wasn’t like him to be this impatient. She’d warned him beforehand, back in the Golden Land, hadn’t she? How difficult it’d be to bring a human along. But he had insisted to take that person with him. Usually Dlanor would have scoffed at his irresponsibility, pushing all the bureaucratic trouble on her, but…    
She was well aware of the rumors, spreading through every single district faster than wildfire. Witch-hunting Wright had gone mad. Witch-hunting Wright had turned into a grumpy shut-in, refusing every invitation to social events. Witch-hunting Wright had insulted his co-workers in a violent burst of emotions. As a fellow Inquisitor of Heresy in the same line of work and standing, Dlanor knew how fast envious rumors would spread. But when word reached her that Willard had indeed quit his job, how even former friends had given up on understanding him, she slowly accepted the sad news.    
  
Then, she suddenly met him, back in the last game. She could clearly see how his character had become softer, mixed with the same old harsh attitude towards anyone or anything he didn’t find reasonable. Fighting alongside him, Dlanor felt honor. Indeed, he had changed. But after hearing all those rumors, wondering what kind of twisted person the once so famous figure had become, she was relieved to see the talk had been baseless. After all, there was one person following him. Someone he was close to, someone who firmly believed in Willard and in turn was treated with respect. If Willard still had a friend like this, he’d be fine. No need to worry. To a certain degree, Dlanor understood why the former archbishop had wanted to bring Lion along, even though she believed his place to be in the Golden Land, next to his family.    
  
The small girl adjusted her glasses. Better get back to work.    
  
Just as she picked up her stamp, resigned to work through the next pile, the phone rang.    
  
Only the Great Court and the Heads of the other Divisions knew her direct dial. This call could only mean one thing…   
  
\-----

8 th district, Will’s apartment.

“Hmhmhmm~” humming cheerfully to himself, Lion danced through the kitchen with a sponge, cleaning a few dirty or dusty spots here and there.    
  
Will had left quite a while ago, mentioning how he needed to get some stuff from his old work colleague or something along the line. Lion didn’t feel like accompanying him for once, lying sluggishly on the couch, a book in one hand, the other one buried in Diana’s soft fur. Currently he read one of Will’s favorite mystery novels, trying hard to figure out the culprit before the novel’s detective. So far, Will had mercilessly shot down all of his theories. It didn’t discourage Lion. Instead, he was even more hellbent than before to find the ‘why dunnit’ and ‘who dunnit’, surprising the arrogant inquisitor with his reasoning.    
  
He’d think of new solutions to the murder case later. For now, he was done lazing around, the fear to become a sluggish couch potato poking at his conscience. Ah, how much he missed playing badminton! At least cleaning made him feel accomplished in the end. There was also the question of what to serve for dinner. Since Will had no cooking skills whatsoever – Lion had tried to teach him in vain so far – the decision on their meals was usually up to him. Not that he minded. If it was left to Will, they’d starve off of cup ramen every single day of the week.

Another factor was how Will had recently complimented Lion’s homemade curry.    
  
“Hmhmhmm~”

The small kitchen radio played another happy popsong. Joining in with his humming, Lion picked up a few dirtied knives, about to place them next to the sink so he wouldn’t forget to clean them later.    
  
The sound of the doorbell almost made him drop one of the knives.    
  
Confused, Lion put away the sponge, while snatching a towel on the go and went to peak out of the kitchen window. Unless Will had secretly ordered something online, they didn’t expect any delivery item. How strange. Or maybe, a package meant for the neighbors?    
Lion stretched his neck as far as possible in hopes to spot the mysterious visitor, but gave up when he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.    
  
_ A friend? Maybe Dlanor? _

His hands now dry, Lion quickly hurried down the floor and stairs, but he was either too slow or had fallen for a prank, because when he opened the front door, nobody was there.    
  
Or so he thought.    
A small cardbox had been placed onto their doormat.    
  
Lion stepped outside, searching left and right but couldn’t locate anyone resembling the mail delivery staff. Maybe the package itself would give him a hint. When he carefully picked it up, he noticed how it weighed almost nothing.    
With the package in his arms, Lion locked the door and returned upstairs, getting a small kitchen knife to open it. Someone had been very diligent to seal the box, that much was sure. Strong tape covered the whole box except for a small address sticker that clearly read “Lion Ushiromiya”. As for the sender, no personal or business name could be found.   
  
He wondered if it was something official, maybe some more paperwork for him and Will to fill out. Or maybe…   
Was it possible to send mail from the Golden Land to Heaven and vice versa? He had to ask Will about that upon his return. Finally, the last tape was cut and an already very curious Lion opened the lid. 

The box contained two things. A folded letter as well as a small crystal, its beautiful blue glow emanating from deep within. It faintly illuminated Lion’s palm as he carefully took it out of the box and placed it on the table. He knew exactly what it was. He’d seen those crystals en masse just a while ago – there was no way he’d mistaken them for anything else in this world.   
  
The moment he’d caught a glimpse of the contents, an ominous, ill feeling got hold of him. This wasn’t a good sign. Not good at all. Only one person came to mind that’d send something like that.   
  
When he unfolded the handwritten letter with shaking hands, Lion’s fears were only further confirmed. Those red letters taunted him with every word he read, made his pulse race faster and faster, almost sending him straight down into a panic attack.  
  


> _ Dear scum Lion,  _
> 
> _ I hope you’re doing well. Too bad I had to leave before being able to properly say goodbye last time we met.  _
> 
> _ While drifting through the ocean of kakera, I found a very interesting one and just  **had ** to show you. Seems there was indeed one more kakera with you in it, my apologies for not realizing sooner. Mistook you for Beatrice, my bad.  _
> 
> _ Take it as a final greeting from me.    
  
Goodbye.    
  
Witch of Miracles, Bernkastel.  _   


His breath irregular, Lion mechanically placed the letter along with the crystal back into the package. She had found them. She had found _him_.    
Wrong. She’d been able to reach them from the start, hadn’t she?    
_ Shit, shit, shit… _

Thoughts racing, Lion shot back up to his feet, scanning his surroundings. Was she already somewhere in this house?!    
Not sure what to do, he held his breath, his senses on high alert. If anyone would move just an inch, he’d hear. Thankfully the old wooden floor gave guests away immediately. Then again, she could fly.    
  
Will. He needed to get to Will.    
Lion sprinted over to the phone as fast as his legs allowed him to.    
“…”    
  
He didn’t know where to call at all. Should he call the police? Did something like the police even exist here? He had no idea. Dammit, why hadn’t he asked sooner?    
Will was already gone for over an hour. He hated leaving the house, so he’d return as fast as possible, right?    
  
Unconsciously, Lion shivered, tightly gripping his cardigan in an effort to calm down. His nightmares wouldn’t become reality. It just couldn’t happen.    
Back then, Will had proclaimed that the witch had forgotten about them. He’d been sure that she wouldn’t be able to reach Heaven and it had brought so much relief to him, when he chose to believe in the detective’s words rather than his own fears. The box on the couch table was proof that Will had been wrong about Bernkastel’s heart.   
  
But he absolutely couldn’t give in to his panic now. Hadn’t he been in worse situations and survived? Frustrated with himself for acting so scared, he resorted to pinching himself.  _ ‘Ouch’.  _   
  
An unhealthy habit, but it never failed to help. The young heir shakily drew a few deep breaths. First, he had to get himself together and think about this rationally.   
  
Okay. What now? I can’t contact Will. What about Dlanor? It was a weekday and the cute girl was most likely at work around this time. The number of her office should be public. Hadn’t he seen a phone book lying around just the other day?   
  
Lion clung to his only hope. Grabbing the portable phone, he hastened into the bedroom, opening the drawers as fast as he could. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was being watched. Bernkastel had to be close.    
  
Found it! 

As fast as humanly possible, Lion punched the number into the phone. Befitting of a miracle, Will had written down the direct dial as well.    
  
The seconds until someone picked up the call seemed endless. Lion clasped the phone so hard, his knuckles were already turning white. 

“Please, please…”    
  
“7 th district, Eiserne Jungfrau HQ, Head chief speaking. Who is this?”

Lion almost felt like crying, recognizing the distinctive, polite voice of the division leader.   
  
“Dlanor-san!”    
  
“…Lion-sama, is that you?” The girl’s voice asked slightly confused.   
  
“It’s Bernkastel!” Lion shouted into the speaker, in his panic forgetting to confirm his identity first. “She found me, she….! Will’s not here!”    
  
The other end of the phone stayed silent. Lion almost feared that Dlanor had hung up, but much to his relief, she soon replied, the confused attitude from before completely gone. Her voice was now firm and clear.    
  
“I’m on my way. Situation?”    
  
“The box-- no, she sent a letter. She left it on the doormat. I think she’s somewhere close.”    
  
“Stay where you are and hide. I’ll be there in 5 minutes.”    
  
“Y-yes.”    
  
The tooting announced that Dlanor had hung up. Feeling a little bit safer already, Lion got up, the phone pressed to his chest with both his hands as If it’d protect him from the evil witch.    
  
Where to hide though? Somewhere a witch wouldn’t look, somewhere…   
Maybe downstairs?    
  
Lion left the bedroom in search of a fitting hideout, straining his ears to catch anything suspicious. The sound of something rolling across the floor made him jump, but it turned out to just be Diana, playing around on the floor with one of her toys.    
Lion relaxed at the sight. If Diana was this calm, perhaps there was no intruder in the house after all. Cats with their superior hearing ability would notice right away, right? Unwillingly, he felt himself drop his guard, if only by a tiny degree.    
  
It was only when Lion entered the living room that he noticed his mistake.    
The cardbox was no longer on the couch table. It had been kicked down and scratched open. Bernkastel's letter was still there, at the couch’s feet. The kakera, however, was gone.    
  
“Diana!”    
  
Turning on his heel, Lion ran back into the floor, frantically looking for the Maine Coon.    
_ Why didn’t I put it somewhere safe?? Idiot! _   
It didn’t take him long until he spotted her. Diana sat at the top of the staircase, the shiny kakera had been pushed dangerously close to the edge right in front of her. Playfully, she lifted her paw, ready to send her prey down a deadly fall.    
  
Lion felt his blood drain from his face. He had a few seconds at best.    
There was a high possibility that the kakera was a trap. There was also the possibility that it was a mere prank by the resentful witch. And then, there was a tiny probability infinitely close to zero that Bernkastel had indeed managed to find another world with Lion in it.    
He knew it was unreasonable. But as long as there was even the slightest chance that this kakera contained a happy end, that it would be the world that Claire had dreamed of… no, he absolutely couldn’t allow that kakera to break.    
  
Without the time to think, Lion let the phone fall and dashed forwards, hands reaching out as far as he could. At the same moment as he jumped forwards, Diana’s paw met the kakera. Every fiber in Lion was focused, his eyes locked firmly on the crystal with his fingertips spread. Just a few more millimeters! His index finger slightly touched it and…he had managed to catch it.    
  
He barely remembered what happened afterwards. He fell with a scream, pain exploded like fireworks inside him. Then, time stopped and everything around him was drowned in endless darkness... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bern, I'm sorry you have to be the villain again, I love you :'D   
Remember when they were in that theater and Bern suggested to look for another kakera with Lion in it? I kept wondering whether she only said it to taunt Lion or if there was indeed a chance of it existing. I also love how Will immediatly went 'I can pinch butts, too' to shut her up ;///; 
> 
> So, in this sense, the following events are part of the "Well, what if Bern actually did that?" timeline, as I like to call it ;D 
> 
> Also, sorry for that cliffhanger *hides*


	9. Chapter 9

“Oh, you’re awake. That’s good.”    
  
Lion blinked a few times, blinded by the sunlight shining onto his bed. His blurred world came into focus, like a camera adjusting to new settings, and slowly but surely he recognized his visitor. Even without perfect vision, one would easily recognize her by the distinct shape of the mimitsukiboushi* alone.    
  
“D-Dlanor…san?” Lion’s voice was hoarse.    
  
“Yes.” The figure clad in blue next to him answered, lifting something to her left ear. “Willard. Lion’s awake, get back here. I’ll switch with you.”    
  
Lion stirred on his bed, trying to get up. He was so thirsty, he could’ve gulped down an entire sea. “Ugh…”    
A sudden, sharp pain along with Dlanor’s hand on his shoulder forced him back into the cushions.    
  
“You shouldn’t get up. Your leg is partially fractured, plus you suffered some heavy bruises.”    
  
Lion remembered. He’d fallen down the stairs, drowned in a dark sea and then…   
  
“Water…” he croaked, desperate to regain his ability to speak and think properly. He had so many questions.    
  
Dlanor stood up and returned with a glass of fresh tap water, helping Lion up into a sitting position if only for a short moment. He swallowed half the glass in one go, feeling better instantly.    
“What about Bernkastel?”    
  
Dlanor shook her head. “Rest assured, you are safe for now.”    
  
_ ‘for now’ _   
Lion didn’t like the sound of that one bit. Fresh memories from the last kakera haunting his heart and mind, he summoned up all the energy he had left. He needed to focus on the present. On _ this _ world.    
  
“Where’s Will?”    
  
Dlanor, once again urging Lion to lie back down, shook her head. “He’ll be here soon. I’m sorry, but for now you’ll have to be satisfied with me.”    
  
A knock on the door caught their attention. Dlanor answered, mumbling an almost silent ‘That was fast’.   
  
“Lion!” Will stumbled into the hospital room, slightly out of breath. It was obvious that he had sprinted there full throttle.    
  
“Will!” Meeting Dlanor’s stern gaze, Lion didn’t try to get up this time. His ribs were hurting terribly at every move he made anyways.    
  
The Eiserne Jungfrau’s Head politely wished Lion a fast recovery – he really liked her manners – then excused herself quickly. Passing Will, the two of them exchanged a few whispered words, apparently new information or further orders. Lion strained his ears but couldn’t make out coherent words. These two were pros on the job after all. It was a funny sight though, because the tall detective had to literally bow down his head like a giraffe for Dlanor to barely reach his ear.    
  
“My assistants are on stand-by. Take your time.” With that, Dlanor was gone and Will marched up to Lion’s bed with big steps.    
As soon as he was close enough, he reached out, gently pushing some stray strands of hair out of Lion’s face. The former smiled weakly at this gesture – he knew how much it meant. After all, Will was someone who voiced his thoughts directly, no restraint whatsoever, but when it came down to communicating his emotions, he spoke much more with his body language than with words.   
Lion resisted the urge to pull him down into a hug.    
  
“You scared me. What happened?” Will, replacing Dlanor on the visitor chair, looked pale.    
  
“Didn’t Dlanor tell you?” Lion wondered.    
  
Will shook his head. “She did. I first assumed you fell down the stairs because Bernkastel had pushed you or something, but when we later found out that she had not breached the barrier to Heaven even once, it didn’t make sense.”    
  
Lion shot up, eyes wide. His ribs were on fire, but he didn’t care. What was the meaning of this?!    
“She’s not here? But then…who sent that letter and the kakera? It  _ has _ to be her, Will!”    
  
Will had rosen to his feet simultaneously, pushing Lion back down into a lying position just like the small girl before had done.    
“You’re not wrong. The sender is probably her. We checked the whole barrier, every record. She’s not here.”    
  
Lion felt dizzy, shutting his eyes in an effort to continue the conversation. The mere act of concentrating consumed all his energy and left him feeling slightly feverish.  
  
“Then, who brought that package?”    
  
“Exactly. That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”    
  
“Someone’s conspiring together with her.”    
  
Will nodded, even though Lion couldn’t see. His voice carried a pained undertone when he spoke up after contemplating quietly.    
  
“As much as I hate to admit, there’s a traitor. As for the motive…I believe I understand the ‘why dunnit’ but I need confirmation.” 

“Any suspects?” 

Will sighed at that. “Many. I can think of at least two dozen people who’d like to see me down.”    
  
“I…don’t understand.” Lion slowly opened his eyes, scanning Will’s face for any possible explanation. What Will had just said made no sense at all. “How is that related to me and Bernkastel?”    
  
The tall man stood up, facing the window. He made it seem as if he was just checking the outside for possible dangers, but Lion still found it strange. Will was direct in conversations, even if the topic was most uncomfortable, he never averted his eyes or hid his expression. Why now?    
  
“I’m not proud of my past self.” Will suddenly confessed. “There’s much I regret. I can’t say I find it unreasonable if those people I hurt would want to make me pay in some way or the other. If they had aimed their hate only at me, I wouldn’t complain. Getting someone completely unrelated and innocent involved is unforgivable.”    
  
As he spoke, Will’s voice got harsher by the second, turning from regretful into something close to rage.    
  
“So, the culprit’s motive is hurting you by hurting me? And Bernkastel used their resentment towards you for her own purpose.”    
  
“Most likely.” Will still faced the outside, refusing to show his face to Lion or anyone who would enter the room. “…I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”    
  
_ Ah…so that’s how it is? He’s… _   


“Will, come here.” Lion waved his hand, signaling the man to get back already.    
  
“Need some water? Or will you pinch my ass?” Will joked, but it felt terribly forced, the fake chuckle giving him away without room for doubt.    
  
“Thanks, but I’m fine. Come closer.”    
Lion reached out to Will who had approached with a dubious gaze. He’d originally planned to pat his head but after struggling to lift his arm that high he settled for Will’s hand instead, gripping it firmly. 

“Lion?”    
  
“Listen. You unwillingly got involved in this mess that is my fate as well. Without you, I wouldn’t even be alive anymore. So don’t ever say that I’m unrelated to your problems…no, your life, ever again. We’re in this together, aren’t we?”    
  
“…” Will just stared at him, eyes slightly widened. His free hand nervously picking at the hem of his scarf, it was obvious that he had been caught off guard, no answer prepared. Left speechless by the young heir’s sincere words, Will opened and closed his mouth, before finally regaining his composure.    
  
“Is that really how you feel?”    
  
Lion nodded. This had nothing to do with obligations and such. The decision to stay at this man’s side had been made much earlier. Something had told him that it was the right thing to do, that he’d be happy. If only there wasn’t this other emotion, growing rapidly inside his heart. It wanted to be noticed, glowing brighter and brighter with every passing day. Even now, it screamed at Lion to accept its existence. But, as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t possibly allow himself to. There was a good reason why he would have to kill that emotion sooner or later…   
  
“Of course. We’re friends, right?”    
  
“Yeah, right…” His hand now free, Will leaned back and settled onto the chair, arms crossed.    
He sounded as disappointed as Lion felt, but it also could’ve been him imagining things. He was dead tired after all.    
  
“So, in the end, why did you fall?” Having decided to return to the first topic and back to the crime deduction, Will changed the atmosphere at once. Lion was incredibly thankful for this – he felt bad enough as it was, no need to (most likely) hurt Will any further.    
  
“Diana mistook the kakera for a plaything and I tried to stop her from kicking it down the staircase. It was my fault, though. I should have put it somewhere secure in the first place.”    
  
“Nah, it’s normal behavior for someone not used to a life around cats. But, anyway, that was rash. If you’d hit the floor at a different angle, you’d be dead.”    
  
Intentional or not, Lion immediately thought of the Beatrices, a bitter smile on his lips. Oh, the irony. Falling from someplace high and dying seemed to be his specialty. Bernkastel would probably fall over from laughing too much if she knew.    
  
“What’s so funny?”    
  
“Nothing, sorry. What happened to the kakera?”    
  
Will shrugged. “That’s what I want to know as well. It was gone. I searched the whole house, but nothing.”    
  
“Maybe it disappeared after I had a look at it.” Lion mumbled, rather to himself than anyone else.    
  
“I still don’t understand. That was very obviously a trap. I see why you didn’t wait until I returned now, but why risk your life for that kakera?”    
  
_ Ah, I knew it. He’s angry with me… He risked his life to save me and here I am, almost dying in such a ridiculous fashion… _

“I know I shouldn’t have done that. But…I just thought…what if it really was a miracle world? Where ‘Lion’ lived a happy life without any tragedy occurring?”    
  
At his words, Will looked down. When he looked back up, something had changed, but Lion couldn’t pinpoint it.   
  
“By the look on your face, I assume it wasn’t?”    
  
“No. Just another bad end.” 

A shiver ran through his body as Lion fought to keep the emotion from surfacing. He probably looked like shit anyway, the chances that his opponent would notice equally low.    
  
“…” 

Will gave him a stern look, as if doubting his words. Why wouldn’t he leave it at that? Wasn’t it obvious by his short wording that he didn’t want to talk about it?   
  
When Lion ignored him for long enough, Will’s impatience kicked in. He’d figured that he would receive no additional information from Lion by just waiting patiently.    
  
“Are you sure there wasn’t something else?”    
  
“What do you mean?”    
  
“It doesn’t make sense. Why would she go through the trouble to send you a regular bad end world?”    
  
Lion tilted his head, playing dumb. “Who knows what witches think?”    
  
“There has to be something special about that kakera. That letter reeked of ill-will. If all this was just for the sake of presenting you the already known fact that ‘there are no miracles’, then it’s pointless. We already know that, plus you’ve successfully escaped your dead-end world.”    
  
Will reasoned out his thoughts rationally, with Lion acknowledging how it made sense to think that way.    
  
“Tell me what happened in that kakera. Maybe I’ll---”    
  
“No.” Lion’s voice echoed through the room. He hadn’t expected to sound this harsh - both of them looked at each other in surprise, slightly taken aback.    
  
Will awkwardly scratched the back of his head, making a resigned face.    
_ Brr, brrr, brrr. _   
A buzzing sound rang through the room, breaking the depressing atmosphere. Something in Will’s coat pocket vibrated and he took it as an opportunity to get back up, lifting his hand slightly at Lion as though wanting to say a short ‘bye’ and then get out immediately.    
  
“Is it urgent?” 

“Guess so. You should get back to sleep and rest anyway.”    
  
“Okay. Take care.” Lion followed the leaving man’s back with his eyes until the room was closed and empty. On one hand he was thankful that Will didn’t get another chance to ask about the kakera, on the other hand, something felt out of place about him. Lion was aware that, in the likely case that Will had some feelings for him, his earlier words might have hurt. It was only for the best though.    
  
Groaning as he repositioned himself on the bed – his back was getting sore already – Lion kept repeating their conversation in his mind, but couldn’t figure out the cause of Will’s abnormal behavior.    
  


* * *

  
About a week that seemed like an eternity later, Lion was finally to be released from the hospital.   
His ribs still hurt at abrupt motions and the doctor had told him for the 6 th time by now to not put any pressure on his foot, but at least he was in good overall health. Good enough to go back home, where Will would continue to take care of him.    
  
The thought of Will hurt a little. The Ex-SSVD Head had come to visit every day, reporting the state of investigation. He was worried and even brought Lion his favorite books, so he wouldn’t get bored when he had nothing to do aside from lying around in hospital all day. He even brought a small squeaky mouse, saying it was a ‘get well soon’ gift from Diana with a perfectly straight face. At that, Lion had burst into a fit of laughter until he had to stop because he didn’t want Will to feel ridiculed and also because a confused nurse had poked her head though the door.    
  
Even with moments like these, the atmosphere between them felt heavy and strained. At some point, even Dlanor with her perfect manners asked if they had a fight.    
  
“Why do you think so?” Maybe the fellow angel could tell him what was wrong with Will, because he had no idea. 

“I apologize if it turns out I’m wrong, but…he seems down.”    
  
“Isn’t that because you still couldn’t prove that girl’s alibi false?”    
  
Dlanor shook her head, the ‘ears’ of the hat dancing back and forth at the movement.    
  
“He works himself too hard and if he wasn’t moody before, he’s impossible to deal with now.”    
The girl stated plainly, no intention of complaining or frustration showing. Going by what Lion had heard from Cornelia and Gertrude, she was currently the only one able to work with Will without wanting to stab him afterwards.

“I believe it’s something not related to this case. He seemed so happy after meeting you, but now he’s back to how he was before retirement. It’s not my place to meddle, but I can’t help but feel sorry for him.”    
  
Feeling guilty, Lion looked down. He could think of a few instances where he might have hurt the detective’s feelings…but had it really been bad enough to destroy their bond? If he asked about it and then it turned out that it was just Will being sleep deprived…

Dlanor opened her mouth, about to investigate the matter further, but then decided to keep quiet. Lion too, changed the topic and they talked about trivial matters until a knock announced Will’s arrival. No matter what, Lion was happy to see him.    
  
After having the Head Doctor perform one last check on him – Will had insisted on this – Lion was officially released from the hospital. It was a good thing that he’d already practiced using crutches, so when Will offered to carry him, he politely refused.    
“Tss…model student as always, aren’t we?”    
  
Lion chuckled “If I go and disgrace myself any further, my mom might just come flying to give me a scolding.” 

Their silly conversation continued in a friendly manner, only adding to Lion’s pleasant anticipation to get back home. He missed Diana, his bed, his lazy afternoons drinking tea with Will while discussing Lion’s newest novel theories…   
  
Contrary to his fears, Will’s mood would hopefully improve as well once they returned to their regular everyday life. For now, this was his only wish.

Dlanor’s words were almost forgotten when they reached the house, Lion slightly out of breath despite the hospital being not too far from their place in the 8 th district.    
  
“What about the stairs? Wouldn’t it be easier if I carried you?”    
  
Lion cursed those goddamn stairs. So, he’d be confined to the 2 nd floor for the next week unless he allowed Will to carry him around? Usually he wouldn’t mind that much but with the man acting weirdly distant lately…   
“Guess it can’t be helped. Sorry for having to rely on you again.”    
  
Will shook his head as he approached him, one hand on his back to give enough support, one hand taking away the clutches. “No problem.”    
  
He really did have no trouble with lifting him up as if he was as light as a cat. They were up the stairs in no time, and, once they reached the living room, Lion prepared himself for the sight of pure chaos. With him gone, Will most likely hadn’t even thought of cleaning and had made a mess out of the living room again.    
  
“Huh, wha---?”    
  
Lion glanced around the room, unable to hide his shock.    
It was neatly cleaned, all books, documents and toys in their rightful places. But what gained his interest the most was the creamish-white couch in the middle of the room, all signs of their old antique sofa gone.    
  
“Impressed?”   
  
Lion didn’t take his eyes off the furniture. “Is that the one from back then at the store?”    
  
“Yep.” Will went closer and carefully lowered Lion down until the injured boy sat comfortably on their newest acquisition. “I thought it was time for a new one. With this, all three of us can fit.”    
  
“It’s so comfy!” Lion hugged one of the pillows, then put it behind his back for better support.    
  
Will smirked proudly. He was looking around the room in search of Diana, but the Maine Coon was nowhere to be found.    
  
“You cleaned?”    
  
“Yeah. I didn’t want you to faint right after returning.”    
  
_ Ah. So he did actually leave a mess… _

“Thanks, Will!”    
  
“Can’t have you unhappy. I’ll go look for Diana, shout if you need anything.” 

With that, he dashed out of the room. Lion could hear him call for the cat downstairs. Pushing away his inner voice telling him that Will sounded suspiciously sad, he closed his eyes and relaxed.    
Not too long after, the archbishop returned with Diana in his arms. As soon as the feline spotted Lion she struggled, almost falling down when Will hurried to set her down next to Lion. Upon greeting him with loud purring, the sweet animal snuggled up next to him and refused to leave his side for the rest of the evening.   
Back in his old world, Lion had liked animals but never considered getting himself a pet. Now that he’d been living with Diana for no more than two months, he couldn’t imagine a life without her anymore. No, he couldn’t confront Will. He wanted to keep his life this way for as long as possible.    
  
The two of them spend the rest of the evening until bedtime watching TV, barely talking. In between Will would sneak out into the floor, whispering to someone on the phone but no matter how much Lion strained his ears, he couldn’t figure out the topic. It was probably Dlanor. He tried asking about it a few times but Will only shook his head. He wanted Lion to focus on healing and leave the detective work to the others. Of course, the blond wasn’t too happy with that, but it was true…his current self would barely be of help. The last thing he wanted was to get in their way or be a bother.   
  
With a little support from Will, at least he managed to do most things on his own, excusing himself a while later. Careful not to hurt his leg, Lion sat down on his bed and changed into his pajamas. Finally back on his own bed! Finally back home…   
Happily he stretched, yawning loudly. 

Suddenly the door was opened, footsteps approaching fast.    
  
Despite knowing that it had to be Will, Lion was caught off guard. A yelp escaped his lips as he inadvertently jumped at the sound.    
  
Will stared at him, utterly dumbfounded by his partner’s reaction. “…You alright?”    
  
“Y-yes, it’s fine. You just…scared me, that’s all.”    
  
Will lifted an eyebrow at the explanation. “Sorry, should’ve knocked. Anyway, I brought your medicine.”    
  
A glass of water was placed next to him on the nightstand. Lion observed Will pulling out a package of pills, the mere sight of it turning his stomach upside down. He felt sick.    
  
Oblivious to any of this, Will waited until the medicine had dissolved entirely into the water, before handing the glass down to Lion.    
  
“Here, drink this.” Will dropped onto the bed and almost immediately regretted his decision when Lion’s expression turned even more disgusted than before. He had assumed it was because Lion was one of those people who were bad with medicine, but that reaction just now pointed towards his second theory…   
  
“What’s wrong? The doctor said to drink one every evening, remember?”    
  
Lion stared down at the glass in his hands. 

_ Clam down, idiot. It’s just regular medicine. You could take it back at the hospital too, right? _

“Sorry, but uhm…I’m bad with this stuff.” He lied “I’ll skip this one. But I’ll take the one tomorrow, okay?”    
  
Hopes high that Will would leave it at that out of pity, Lion was about to place the medicine back on the nightstand when he was stopped by the other’s hand, firmly pushing the glass back into his grasp. Lion could only pray that Will failed to notice his trembling fingers. He just wanted to be left alone for a moment…   
  
“No. The doctor said to drink this, so don’t be childish. Come on.” Will was determined to not let Lion get away that easily. He couldn’t figure out why the blond acted so distant lately, nor why the usual model student refused to listen to a doctor’s advice…   
  
“Will, let go. This is my own decision.” Lion tried to push him away to the best of his possibilities, but the difference in strength between them was just too big.   
  
“Why are you so stubborn? Just drink it already, it’ll be fine.”    
  
Fuck. Lion felt the storm inside his stomach rise up violently. He’d puke soon if this went on.    
  
_ ‘Don’t be so stubborn. Drink up already, you’ll be fine.’ _

His whole world spun. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted this man to go away.    
  
“L-Leave me alone!”    
  
“Lion?”    
  
Will needed to go. Quickly. He knew it was mean, but in his peril, Lion resorted to the only thing he knew of that’d most likely work.    
  
“If…you don’t want to ignore my heart, then please…leave.”    
  
Jackpot. The grip on his hand gone in an instant, Lion listened to the ex-inquisitor leave the bedroom with hasty steps. The door was slammed shut, having him know just how much he’d just pissed him off.    
  
“I’m sorry…” Lion whispered, feeling hot tears run down his cheek. He couldn’t help but chuckle silently at their misery. Had Bernkastel finally won? Had this been her aim from the very beginning? To destroy their bond, their faith in each other?    
  
“Ughh…” 

The nauseous feeling subsiding now that he was alone, Lion took all the time he needed until reaching a point where he felt it was safe to drink his medicine. If only the pain killers would erase the pain in his heart, too.    
  
By now, about an hour had passed, but Will hadn’t returned to their bedroom. Would he sleep on the couch? He had only meant to ‘leave for the moment’, not that Will wasn’t allowed into their bedroom anymore.    
_ I should go apologize soon… _

The young heir fished for the crutches that had fallen to the ground and got back up, his guilt eating away at him when his gaze fell on the clock on the desk, realizing how much time had already passed.    
  
The hallway was dark and even the living room was barely illuminated. Contrary to his expectations, only Diana was sleeping on the couch, while her owner was nowhere to be seen. Lion checked the kitchen and bathroom, but to no avail. Maybe he was down in the study, nose buried deep in books in an attempt to forget about their little quarrel?    
  
When he reached the top of the stairs, Lion tried calling for his friend a few times. No answer.    
Had he fallen asleep? Climbing down those stairs was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. Aside from being dangerous, it would require much effort – in fact, his earlier stomach ache had left him shaky and weak. Unsure what to do, Lion looked back and forth, calling for Will one last time. No answer.    
  
The sound of a phone ringing almost gave him a heart attack. Who the hell would call this late?    
  
With the house owner presumably asleep and nowhere to be found, Lion wobbled back to the living room and picked up the receiver.    
  
“Yes?”    
  
“Good evening, Lion.”    
  
It was Dlanor. By now they had dropped the formal suffixes, talking to each other on a first name basis.

“Ah, good evening. I think Will’s already asleep, is it urgent?” 

A short silence followed.    
  
“Actually, I was calling because Willard’s at my department. Wasn’t he supposed to keep watch over you today?”    
  
“…oh.” Realization hit Lion like an icy, fierce wave. He couldn’t find Will because he had left. He was sick and tired of the blond’s bullshit and had taken his words literally…   
  
Dlanor seemed worried. “What happened?”    
  
Lion’s mouth felt dry, the process of speaking lost to him. When he forced himself to answer, his voice sounded foreign, far away.    
“I…told him to leave…”    
  
“But, why?”    
  
“I...I just wanted some time alone, I didn’t want him to leave the house!”    
Panic rose up within his mind. Will would kick him out. He’d never see him again.    
  
“So, it’s a misunderstanding of some sort?” Dlanor’s calm, rational voice was like a shiny light in pitch black darkness. He wanted to hold onto that light, his sole hope…   
  
“Could you please talk to him?”    
  
“Uhm…I can try.” The girl sounded deeply troubled. “I got angry at him earlier and he snaps at everyone who dares to come close…” 

“Sorry Dlanor…you’re already working hard for my sake, I shouldn’t---”    
  
The Head Inquisitor interrupted him midsentence. That wasn’t her style. “I’ll do what I can under one condition.”    
  
Lion swallowed. “What is it?”    
  
“It’s not my business…is what I’d say, but to be honest, I think you need to talk. Both of you are hurting more than the other can imagine.”    
  
“…Okay. I promise.” Lion replied with as much determination he could muster. He didn’t want to talk about that kakera…but if silence meant losing Will, he’d be brave. Dlanor was right.    
  
“I’m going to send his stupid butt right home. Don’t worry.” Her voice completely different from before, Dlanor now spoke as Lion’s friend. The sudden informal speech was surprising but also caused a thin smile to appear on his lips. There was no question that she’d done so on purpose. It was her way of cheering him up, he supposed.    
  
“Thank you.”    
  
The phone hung up, Lion settled down onto the couch, absentmindedly petting Diana who rolled onto her back at the touch. At least someone was happy…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * mimitsukiboushi (耳付き帽子) is the Japanese term for Dlanor's hat. I have no idea what to call it in English. Earred hat? 
> 
> Lion needs a hug and Will needs a hug, that's all I have to say. This fic isn't tagged hurt/comfort for nothing :'D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter, hope you enjoy it! ^-^

In the corner of a study sat a man with bed hair, nose buried in documents that were strewn across the floor. Each time he decided that the paper he was holding was of no use to him, he carelessly tossed it away.    
There weren’t many people in the office at this time of the night, but those who worked the night-shift and passed him frowned in disregard. Regardless, none of them dared to reprimand or even approach the man emanating a dark aura. The few brave souls who had called out to him had either been completely ignored or yelled at. Word had spread quickly and by now, nobody in the building was insane enough to disturb the working Ex-Wright any further.    
_   
_ _ ‘Leave him’ ‘I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but this is… _ ’    
Voices like these spread. Not that the whispering seemed to bother the man.    
  
When a tiny child stepped up, all ready to confront him, everybody held their breaths. There was a reason why Dlanor was highly respected by her assistants and co-workers alike.    
  
“Willard.”    
  
The fellow Inquisitor shot her an angry glare. “I told you to fuck off 10 minutes ago.”    
  
“This is my division, you don’t get to tell me what to do here.”    
  
Will locked eyes with her. The heavy atmosphere got even darker, sending everyone who was still close into hiding. One wrong word and he’d explode.    
  
Dlanor knew what she was doing though. She still had her ace card ready. “A message from Lion:”    
  
Will slightly twitched at that name. Dlanor pretended not to notice as she calmly continued her statement. “It seems there was a misunderstanding. Lion will talk to you about it. Go home already.”    
  
For a second, she contemplated scolding him for leaving that poor kid all alone defenselessly but judging by his current emotional instability she decided to postpone the matter for later.    
  
Silently, Will got up, the aggressive stance replaced with something close to utter exhaustion and sadness.    
  
Without another word the man left, every witness completely baffled by the strange occurrence.    
  


* * *

  
  
Lion heard the sound of the front door being unlocked, which meant that Dlanor had been successful. He’d think about how to repay her later, for now he focused, brazing himself for whatever mood he’d be greeted with. Either way, this night would be merciless, he was sure of it.    
  
The hardwood floor creaked loudly when Will entered the living room, sinking down wordlessly onto the couch next to Lion. Not sure how to even start, Lion nervously interlocked his fingers to stop them from trembling. He’d been taught how to suppress negative emotions during business meetings – after all it was important to keep a pokerface no matter the situation – but he felt it’d be dishonest.    
  
“I had to clear my head for a while...” Will mumbled, a bitter look on his face.    
  
Lion shook his head. “It’s my fault. I didn’t mean for you to leave…I just needed some space, that’s all. I shouldn’t have phrased it in such a way though. If you can, please forgive me.”    
  
His hopes high that his feelings had reached Will’s heart, the young boy dared to face his partner on the opposite side of the couch. To his surprise, Will made a similar apologetic face, his posture slightly more relaxed than before. He raked his fingers through his hair absentmindedly. To Lion it looked like he was searching for the right words to say, a display of insecurity that didn’t quite fit him.    
  
“Look, I…I know it’s my own personal problem. You haven’t done anything wrong.”    
  
Lion tilted his head. “What’s your problem?”    
  
The archbishop sighed heavily as though in deep regret. He looked directly at Lion, his beautiful yellowish eyes dull. “I was very happy the past two months. I foolishly assumed it was the same for you, but it seems I was wrong.” His brows furrowed. “Just what is it that you’re not satisfied with?”    
  
“Huh? But…I’m happy! Why do you think I’m not?”    
  
“No need to lie. If you can’t stand being with me any longer, just say so. I can deal with it.”    
  
_ You obviously can’t.  _ Lion wanted to retort but stopped himself from doing so. Will’s behavior was unnerving to say the least. Unfair.   
  
“Would you answer my question please? I just explained that I didn’t mean it when I told you to leave. When did I ever complain about my life here?”    
  
Will clicked his tongue and Lion wasn’t sure whether he felt offended or just thought the former was stupid for asking all this when he should’ve figured it out on his own.    
  
“Will, tell me. How am I supposed to get things right if I don’t understand why you’re upset in the first place?” He hoped that at least sound logic would work with the detective.    
  
It did. Will grit his teeth, holding back an emotional outburst. By now, he was trembling slightly as well.    
  
“Why? If you were happy, then why would you risk your life and throw yourself at that 0,1% chance of a happy end kakera?! Do you have any idea how I felt when we sprinted here and the first thing we see is you lying on the ground, unconscious and head bleeding? I thought Bernkastel had killed you!”    
  
“I—”    
  
All his worries came pouring out and left no room for Lion to interrupt. He could only sit and listen in shock. 

“I was ready to give my life if it meant to get you out of that dead-end fate. I understand that I’m not what most people would want as a friend or partner or whatever, but I really tried. I don’t get why it’s not enough…”    
  
“Will…”    
  
There were many things Lion wanted to convey, but it felt as if all explanations in the world would fail to have any effect, at least at this very moment. Lion finally understood that – no matter how strong someone might seem – in the end everyone got hurt by the same things and despaired, unable to face their pain on their own.    
  
“I’ve been selfish. I only looked at my own heart…” Lion leaned forward the best he could and reached out his arms. “You know, you’re too kind for your own good.”    
  
Will didn’t resist when Lion softly touched his head, pulling him into a shy embrace.    
  
“Everyone complains that I’ve become soft.”    
  
Lion carefully ruffled his hair, trying to calm the detective as well as himself. “That’s not bad at all. But please don’t ever assume things on your own. I’m still bad at reading other people’s hearts it seems…so I will need your help with that. If you’re still willing to, that is.”    
  
“You want to stay?” Will asked, looking up at Lion the best he could within his limited moving space.    
  
“I promise not to lie as well.” Lion smiled even though Will would barely see it. It didn’t matter though. It was a feeling born from the depth of his heart, finally being allowed to surface as Lion allowed himself to be vulnerable for just this evening.    
  
“I chased after that kakera because I still had hopes to show Claire a happy end. But…that was for her sake. You’ve been right though, there was no need to. After all…I’ve already reached my happy end…”    
  
Lion closed his eyes when Will lifted his arms, responding to Lion’s attempt at a hug at last. He was careful to avoid the young boy’s injured ribs and settled on the lower back instead, pulling him a tiny bit closer. “Don’t fucking scare me like that ever again…”    
  
“I’m sorry. I want to stay with you, so please…don’t ever get tired of me.”    
  
“Pfft…” Will chuckled. “That’s my line. Aren’t you going to pinch my ass if I slack off and get boring?”    
  
“Haha, I don’t think you’d ever bore me. But if you wish so, I shall gladly give you a scolding whenever I deem it necessary.”    
  
“No thanks.”    
  
Will leaned back into the cushions without lessening the grip on Lion’s lower back which resulted in the blond to be pulled along. A surprised yelp escaped his lips as he found himself suddenly lying on top of Will, his hand now gripping his shoulders for support.    
  
“Is your leg alright? Does it hurt?”    
  
“N-no, uhm,…I’m fine.” This position was indeed very comfortable. Lion felt Will’s chest rise up and down evenly at every breath. As his heart hammered against his ribcage, he struggled to relax, his original plan to be the one comforting the other ruined.    
  
Will rested, his eyes shut and Lion followed his example. He would have blushed furiously at their position, but the pure relief and happiness were overwhelmingly strong. For now, he just wanted to relish those feelings.    
  
“Is it alright? Me being that close?”    
  
“Mhhh.” If possible, Lion would have purred. His exhaustion kicking back in, he was drifting back to sleep with every passing minute.    
  
“Then why that reaction earlier?”    
_   
_ _ Ugh. Why did he have to touch that subject again? And just after Lion had promised not to lie… _   
  


“That was related to the last kakera. I was just a bit scared…that’s all. I won’t whine and forget all about it, so it should be fine soon.”    
  
“Talk to me in case it doesn’t.”    
  
“Mhh. I will.”    
  
Will shifted beneath him, adjusting his position so that Diana would fit next to them as well. The sleepy cat blinked at the pair, then stepped over Lion’s back without a care in the world and settled down next to Will's face.    
  
“Sleep?” Will yawned, turning his face to place a short kiss between Diana’s ears.    
  
“Sleep.”    
  
Lion was utterly tired but content. He could’ve rested like this for forever, snuggled up against Will and Diana snoring into his ear. This was the place he belonged to.    
  
“I’m glad I met you…” he whispered, sure he’d regret his embarrassing lines as soon as he woke up the next morning.    
Will replied something but it was lost, far away for Lion who had fallen asleep, wearing a peaceful expression.   
  


* * *

  
  
“Any news about the culprit?” Lion asked, in between two bites.   
His breakfast consisted of two buttered croissants, two hard boiled eggs and a bowl of cereals. They said emotional stress burns calories, which was confirmed by their dying stomachs when they had woken up that morning.   
  
If not for Will immediately complaining about Lion being ‘heavy’, he would’ve blushed furiously. Even though the sight of Will at morning – drooling, messy hair and slightly sweaty – was not exactly what one would define as ‘erotic’, he was still lying on top of that man…   
Who, thanks to his lack of manners, was immediately pinched by an angry Lion, groaning, because the effort to even reach Will’s behind took quite the toll on his injured ribs.   
  
_“Ouuuuw Ouw stop that!!! You’re still at it even in that state?!” __  
_In cries of agony, Will hurried to escape from the couch, almost pushing over Lion and Diana in the process. Pressed against the bookshelves, which he had judged to be in a safe distance, he grumbled while rubbing his behind.   
  
_“If you’re this eager to get up, how about you prepare breakfast today? Look, Diana is hungry, too.”_   
  
“…you little…” Will grimassed, then followed his cat into the kitchen. Lion chuckled. Things seemed to be back to normal. 

“Yeah. We had some troubles disproving their alibi, especially since I’m not allowed to do any official investigations whatsoever anymore, but well…I’ve got to hand it to the Shorty, she knows her stuff.”    
  
Will scratched his chin, some small, dark stubbles indicating that it was time to shave unless he decided to grow a beard.    
  
“Could you refrain from that? We’re eating.”    
  
“…troublesome…” Will sighed, but occupied his hands with whatever edibles were left on the table.    
  
Contently smiling at that reaction, Lion wiped his lips with a paper tissue. Even after 2 months of living at Will’s place, he had not forgotten his table manners – which were of course top notch – much to the dismay of the latter.    
  
“I want to know, too. Who it was that did that to me. No, to us.”    
  
“I’m not allowed to give you disclosed, unconfirmed information, didn’t I tell you like…ten times already?”    
  
“Will. I have a right to know. And get that hand off your chin, you’re at it again!”    
  
The former inquisitor gazed at his hand in thought, almost as if surprised he hadn’t noticed himself. Or, maybe he was finally considering giving in to his demands, Lion wondered.    
  
“Fine, fine, as you wish. But you better act clueless in front of Dlanor and the others, got it.”    
  
Lion nodded, anticipation high. 

Will turned slightly on his chair, looking outside the window as he usually did whenever he felt uncomfortable with the current topic. Those topics were most often related to himself, an observation that was now another factor playing into Lion’s excitement.    
  
“It’s most likely the doing of the current head of the SSVD. Which, as you can imagine, makes investigation a true hassle. In case you wondered why this whole damn thing takes us so long.”    
  
“What? You mean it was your successor?! But, why?”    
  
“Hate, grudge, call it whatever you like. I knew they weren’t happy with my last scolding, but I didn’t expect them to jump at any opportunity to retaliate. Even involving someone who did them no harm.”    
Will clicked his tongue, his frustration and anger showing.

Lion looked down at the table, sharing Will’s disbelief at that person’s action. Shouldn’t someone in such a high position be fair and just, a role model? As someone who was fated to become the next Ushiromiya family head, Lion had held on to that belief and strived to become the best possible version of himself, someone his family would be proud of.    
  
“I know you don’t like to talk about your past, but…you once mentioned that many people have a reason to hate you. Is that what you meant?”    
  
“More or less. I was so fed up with the whole SSVD that I didn’t give a damn who would earn the title of Wright after me. But you know what? Those wannabe detectives didn’t even get the commandments right, accusing a servant of all things…”    
  
“Van Dine’s 11th, right?”    
  
At that, Will turned around, almost looking proud at Lion’s comment.    
“Correct. See, even you can remember them correctly, and you don’t even work there. You see why I got pretty worked up when I heard?”    
  
Lion nodded again. Will was right, this was outrageous. “So, you gave them a scolding?”    
  
“Yep. I did my own investigation, went to the crime scene and lectured them about their carelessness. Dlanor said I should’ve done that in private instead of embarrassing them in front of the whole team, though.”    
  
“Maybe…but is that really enough to make someone try to kill me?”    
Lion could understand that it must’ve been an uncomfortable situation for that person, but he still thought Will had been right in his actions. The SSVD Head Inquisitor should know all the commandments by heart, there was no room for debate.    
  
By Will’s sloppy posture on the chair, the earlier tense muscles now relaxed, Lion guessed that hel was getting more comfortable about the topic.    
  
“Apparently, there were many who questioned her competence and position after this. I was resented by them even before quitting, this was probably just the last straw.”    
  
“They felt ridiculed and embarrassed and Bernkastel offered them the perfect opportunity to vent their anger?” Lion concluded.    
  
“She probably just asked them to deliver the package and that it contains something that’d hurt me…or something like that. I’ll find out soon, me and Shorty will have a nice, long talk with her at noon.”    
  
Lion held his index finger up high. “It’s ‘Dlanor and I’, Will.”    
  
His reflexes already trained, Will immediately covered his behind, glaring at those cursed fingers. “Arghh, give it a rest already!”    
  
Not paying the man’s complaints any attention, Lion got up from the table, in each hand his and Will’s plate. Carefully he dropped them down in the sink. He’d do the washing up for today.    
“You should get dressed if you don’t want to be late.” He reminded his partner, then added “But, you know…good luck.”    
  
“Thanks. It might take longer, you and Diana eat dinner without me.”    
  
With that Will lifted himself up and went over to his princess, who was spread out on the counter next to the sink. Will – in his endless love for his cat – would allow her anywhere, be it the table, the kitchen counter or the bathroom sink. Lion, as much as he was fond of her as well, wasn’t exactly happy about that but this was, after all, Will’s house. Thus, his (nonexistent) rules were not for a guest to complain about.    
  
“Be a good girl. I’ll be right back, okay?”    
Diana, as if understanding his words perfectly, meowed and Will placed a soft kiss on her forehead.    
  
“You really love her, huh?”    
  
Will shrugged “She’s the only one who never complains about me. What, jealous?”    
  
“You wish.”    
  
Clicking his tongue yet again out of bad habit, Will left to get dressed and Lion turned his attention back to his cleaning task. When he turned on the water, Diana came over, attempting to drink from the faucet, her beautifully groomed tail wagging from left to right.    
  
“Maybe I’m a tiny bit jealous. You cute fluffball…” Lion mumbled into her fur as he picked her up. Needless to say, the Main Coon was not all too happy to be removed from the counter. Lion thought that she looked just like Will when he pouted. Reminding himself that he was here, in safety, with only Will, Dlanor and this cat was what he needed to do most right now.    
_ Forget about that other world. Pretend it was just a dream. I am me and I am right here. _

  
When Will returned from the Great Court, the sun was already setting, a beautiful orange illuminated the living room where Lion sat watching TV, his dinner long since eaten. He had put Will’s share of the curry into the fridge, and, when the tired detective fell down on the couch, he was more than happy at Lion’s offer to warm it up for him.    
Lion assumed that aside from breakfast he had not eaten at all, because Will shoved the curry down as if there was no tomorrow. The two settled into their respective corners on the new couch – Lion left, Will right and Diana in the middle – and Will reported. About how the SSVD Head Inquisitor had given them a hard time, refusing to answer until Dlanor had summoned two witnesses who could discredit her alibi. Will had frantically searched through every back-up log available for the past weeks until he had miraculously managed to prove the manipulation of portal data. Which in turn meant that someone had left and re-entered heaven, then hacked and deleted the logs. The only ones who could do so were those with special authority, namely, the Heads of each division.    
From that part onwards, Lion had a hard time understanding for the technical standard in heaven was much more advanced compared to his previous world. From flat monitors to wireless printers, he had gotten used to the sight, but was clueless as to how they worked. Will’s explanations had not helped in that matter at all.    
  
In the end, after a long, ugly back-and-forth, the Wright confessed and as expected, blamed her previous superior for everything. Not that it helped. Unlike Will, who valued the heart, the other division leaders were merciless, separating their work and private stance just like Dlanor did when it came to magic. The now former Wright had confessed – that was all that mattered – and was subsequently convicted as a criminal. When Lion asked what would happen to her, Will only shook his head, indicating that the blond was better off not knowing.    
  
“It’s over. We can all take a break now, hopefully.” As Will said that, he flashed a reassuring smile, further underlining his statement. Lion was eager, almost desperate to believe his words to be true. No more witches, no more bad-ends. He’d had his fair share of pain. Now was the time to fulfill his promise with Claire. 

Lion stretched his legs, slightly hitting Will’s feet in the process. The feeling had returned to his once fractured leg – the hospital doctor had done an amazing job – yet every movement continued to hurt, if only a little. The crutches, never far from him, were still needed, much to Lion’s frustration. He hated being sick, forced to lay in bed all day. He glanced over to his couch neighbor. That one surely would enjoy slacking off for weeks…   
  
It was possible that Will had caught Lion’s gaze, because his sleepy eyes, lids already half closed, opened up unexpectedly.    
  
“Oh yeah, almost forgot. I got you something.”    
  
Lion curiously tilted his head. Was he talking about a present of some sort?    
  
“My coat’s on the floor, try one of the pockets.”    
  
“Excuse me, but you could very well go and get it yourself.”    
  
Will groaned, unwilling to move an inch. “I had a 10 hours work day.”    
  
“And I have a broken leg.” Lion retorted. How lazy could someone get?!    
  
“You _ had _ a broken leg.” Will corrected, struggling to get as far away as possible from the younger male who could barely suppress the urge to seriously double pinch Will’s butt. “Fine, fine, look I’m already up. Get those hands away from me!”    
  
A minute later, Lion was handed a small, white box, slightly larger than his palm. He turned it around in his hands, trying to guess the content by weight and shape alone. It wasn’t heavy at all. He read out aloud the company name that was printed in fancy letters on the front, but, needless to say, he was as clueless as before.    
  
“What are you doing, open it already—OUCH!”    
  
His fingers occupied, Lion had kicked the detective with his healthy leg. “I’m appreciating your gift! Only kids rip it open immediately, it’s good manners, Will.”    
  
“No need for manners, I got it because you do need it. That’s all.”    
  
Lion fumbled at the box's edges, excited to see what Will had gotten him. So, it was something practical? And damn, that shitty box wouldn’t open, ughh…   
After what seemed like half an eternity and two offers from Will to ‘just let him do it’, Lion finally managed to open the gift. What he pulled out was a small, white device that fit perfectly into his palm. A small stick, most likely a short antenna, was sticking out at the top. The slight upper half featured a display similar to that of a computer. He’d seen Dlanor and Will use something similar over the past weeks, deducting that it was some sort of advanced pager.   
  
Will chuckled at his cluelessness, his head rested against his left hand. “It’s a cell phone. A portable telephone.”    
  
“You mean…I can use this small thing to call you? Does it work outside, too?”    
  
“Sure it does. Next time something happens, use this to call me directly.”    
  
Gaping back and forth from his present and the detective, Lion couldn’t believe his luck. This was…really, really cool! And useful. And thoughtful.    
  
“Will, I …thank you!”    
  
“Nah, it’s nothing. I should’ve gotten it earlier.” Even though he was acting all nonchalantly, the face he was making spoke otherwise.    
_   
_ _ ‘Oh, I’m supposed to enter the date? Do I type with these buttons?’  _ _   
_ _ ‘No, no, no just tell me what to do, I want to install it myself.”  _   
  
There was only one thing that came to his mind: ‘Precious’    
  
“What’s with that smug grin? Am I doing something wrong?” Hesitating between pure excitement and deep embarrassment, Lion shot Will a daring look.  _ Just make fun of me, I’ll figure this out in an instant, you’ll see! _ _   
_ _   
_ “No, I’m glad you like it. I’ll give you my number, save it.”    
  
“Huh? Oh, sure. Wait, let me see….uhm…”    
  
Will shuffled over to Lion’s side, head stretched so he could see the display as well. “Lemme watch, I’ll teach you how to do it.”    
  
After making some space for the man to come closer – they were now sitting right next to each other, Lion softly leaned against Will’s arm on the headrest. The pair happily installed various numbers that Will judged important, made two test calls and also practiced writing text messages. Lion was a perceptive individual, astonishingly so, as Will had already noticed before, and got the hang of it much faster than expected. By the time they went to bed, tired but with a feeling of fulfillment and gratefulness on Lion’s side, the latter could handle his phone flawlessly.    
  
As if to prove this, Will’s phone which was situated on the nightstand next to his bed, beeped shortly after they’d turned off the lights. Finding the blinking light to be annoying, Will grabbed his phone to switch it to night mode.    
  
[You got 1 message from ‘Lion’]   
Will opened it.    
[Thank you. Good night zZ.]    
  
Smirking into his cushion, Will changed his mind and typed hastily. A vibrating sound a few moments later announced the reception of his message, accompanied by the sound of stirring bedcovers. Lion, phone in his hands and hidden under the bedsheets so that the display light wouldn’t keep Will awake, opened the answer.    
  
[Sleep well (^._.^) ﾉ ]

Silence. Will’s phone vibrated.    
  
[What is that?]    
  
[A cat, what else?]    
  
Will could hear Lion giggle softly. Just when he assumed that this was the end of the conversation, the phone back on the nightstand, it vibrated again. 

[ ~(=^–^) meow ]    
  
“That took you full 5 minutes?”    
  
“Shut up, I’m practicing.”    
  
Silence.    
Lion’s phone vibrated.    
  
[ (= ↀ ω ↀ =) ✧]    
  
“ What ’ s with that scary thing, do you intend for me to get nightmares?? ” Lion gasped, half joking half serious.    
  
“I think it looks funny.”    
  
Will received another message.    
  
[ Diana -> / ᐠ ｡ ꞈ ｡ ᐟ \ ) ]    
  
„Okay, that’s cute. I’ll give you 8/10 points.”    
  
“Much obliged.” Lion laughed, followed by a stifled yawn.    
  
They decided to save their little contest for later, falling into a deep sleep soon after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my headcanons is that if Will had LINE, he'd totally have dozens of weird cat stickers and he'd show them to Diana on the display going all "Look, that's you." <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super long, you've been warned. No srsly, this might be my longest chapter yet xD I just couldn't figure out where to insert a break, so I decided to leave it like that. 
> 
> I had so much fun writing this~   
I love how Will becomes such a stock market nerd at the end of the series and when I read those last parts about him making a fortune, I kept wondering just how much Lion had a hand in this~   
Also, for those of you who haven't listened to the voice dramas, there was an instance where they went to a maid café and Lion asks Will what he wants written on his omurice and that dork goes 'good luck at the stock market' (something like that, that japanese phrase is hard to translate) and Lion just gives up on his idiot.

“Will, we seriously need food. Go do some shopping.”    
  
Will, sprawled across the couch, another mystery novel in his hands, nestled even further into the cushions.    
It was only 7pm but they had already turned on the lights in an attempt to drive away the greyish, icy light that barely illuminated the living room any longer. On the windowsill, curiously observing the few passersby who went out during this weather, sat Diana.    
  
“Will, I’m serious. The only one who gets to eat at this rate is the cat. How come the shelves are stuffed with cat food, but the fridge is empty?”    
  
Will groaned. Since Lion’s leg was not fully healed yet – which in truth was one of many reasons – he couldn’t ask him to go himself. Reluctant he set the book aside.    
  
“Fine, I’ll go. But you cook.”    
  
Lion, who by now was already next to him, ready to push his lazy behind off the furniture, raised an eyebrow. “Don’t I always cook?”    
  
“So what? I like your cooking.”    
  
“That’s great to hear, but I’ll still have you learn how to do it.”    
  
Will groaned again, a loud and clear protest. As soon as he rose from the couch, Diana jumped from her outlook and stole his warmed-up spot.    
Smiling at that, Lion sat next to her, picking up Will’s book along the way. He inspected the cover but it didn’t seem familiar. Ever since moving in, Lion had made full use of the inquisitor’s huge collection and read his fair share of novels. At some point, Will had even praised him for getting better at deducing the culprit – an incidence that had fired up his motivation even more.    
  
“I’ll be going then.”    
  
Will lifted his hand shortly and vanished from Lion’s sight.   
  
Lion carefully listened until the sound of the door clicking into the wooden frame confirmed that he was now alone. As fast as possible he jumped up and hastened into the bathroom. Time to get back to his secret project. With his injury being not only time consuming but also a painful hindrance, he still hadn’t been able to get himself a job. The fact that he was – after almost two months – still freeloading at Will’s place pained him even more than his leg. He liked his cooking, but Lion felt that this little act of gratitude was barely enough to repay him for everything he had done, especially on the financial part.   
  
So, that one extra cold day, when he had come back from the market, ears and nose all red, Lion had thought of something he could do. He had bought what he needed secretly that one day when they had been at the hospital for another check-up. Escaping Will’s sight was fairly easy. Pretend to look for the washroom and voilà, the archbishop kept away.    
  
Lion opened his perfect hiding spot. It was perfect, because it was the only place in the house that Will would never ever open out of his own volition unless he was forced to do so – namely the little bathroom cupboard where they kept the cleaning agents. Which, as of now, also housed a set of knitting needles and the beginning of what would (hopefully) soon become a long, red scarf. Lion felt it would go really well with Will’s weird red hair string.    
  
So far, Lion had attentively observed his partner whenever he was on the so-called internet. Will had explained its structure before, but unlike his cell phone, Lion had no idea how to operate that thing. Since he didn’t want to break it, he was always extra careful when using it without Will around. One time he had almost clicked on a screen that told him to download something and it had resulted in Will almost yelling at him, plus another lecture on the dangers of the internet. Lion had regretted his carelessness deeply and swore to take better care next time, but the sad fact that he struggled to distinguish fake from ‘safe’ sites, remained. As a result, he was allowed to only use a so called search function ‘Voogle’ – which _ ‘was under supervision of authorities and only displayed children friendly, protected websites’. _   
Not happy to be treated like a child, but on the other hand feeling better at the thought that he wouldn’t accidentally download another virus into Will’s computer, Lion used it whenever he got bored. Or, in this case, to teach himself how to knit. Needless to say, he felt immensely silly, almost like a lovesick girl knitting a scarf for her lover in a kitschy romance show. That was something a cute girl like Shannon would do. No, his scarf was solely for the purpose of displaying his gratitude and to keep Will from catching a cold.    
  
Lion sat back on the couch and started another row, always on high alert in case Will came back. Times like these were the only ones when he could knit in peace – and oh god he sounded like a grandma, didn’t he? How much he missed those times when he could run around and play badminton all day! Success was very unlikely, but maybe he should try to ask Will next spring…    
  
Anyway, back to the scarf. Lion held up his progress, inspecting his work so far. He’d had to say, it came out much better than expected, despite him being a complete beginner. It was getting frustrating though, because now that the latest case was settled, Will lazed around at home all day, and, when he finally left, his unfair long legs reached the store so fast that by the time he came back, Lion had barely managed to knit another few rows.    
He told himself not to hurry though. Christmas was still many weeks away. 

20 minutes later, the door was opened. Lion, grabbing all items in mere seconds, snuck down the floor in a practiced manner and hid the halfway done scarf away. When he came out of the bathroom, he pretended to treat his hair, brush in hand and an innocent smile on his lips.    
“Welcome back.”    
  
“Yo!” Will stripped out of his coat, then vanished into the kitchen. When Lion followed him, the tall man turned around and tossed him a white envelope. Lion almost dropped it, catching it with just the fingertips on its freefall to the ground. “It’s from that Battler.”    
  
“A letter?”    
  
“Looks more like an invitation to me.” Will answered, the sound of his voice muffled as he leaned into the fridge, diligently putting away the groceries. “Brr, it’s cold. Is the heating even turned on?”    
  
Lion excitedly ripped open the envelope, pulling out a beautiful marble-colored paper with golden embellishments at the edges. If not for Battler’s terrible handwriting, it would have given off a very noble impression, fitting of the Ushiromiya name. Lion nodded proudly at the paper.    
  
“What does it say?” Suddenly, Will stood directly behind him, upper body bend down and head hovering close over the blond’s shoulder as he tried to catch a glimpse of the letter’s content. Tension ran through Lion’s entire body, rendering him unable to breath properly as his heart skipped a beat.  _ Had this guy ever heard of ‘personal space’? _ _   
_ _   
_ “A Halloween Party? Are they serious?” 

“Huh?” Lion forced his attention back to the letter. He could faintly hear Will breathing and it drove him crazy. “Uhmm...oh you’re right. It’s Maria’s idea, I thought so.”    
  
“It’s late November.” Will stated plainly, his head so close that some of his stray bed-hair strands tickled Lion’s ear. He resisted the urge to punch him in the face.    
  
“Do they even have seasons in the Golden Land? Even so, this is Maria-chan we’re talking about. If she wants something, adult reasoning isn’t going to work.”    
  
“Hmpf. I like that.” Finally, the detective leaned back. Lion’s back felt cold, no longer protected by the proximity of the other.    
  
“What do you think?”    
  
Actually, Lion really wanted to pay a visit. He hadn’t seen his family for so long, he started to miss them dearly. Yet, his strict mother had taught him to never state his personal wishes this frankly.    
  
“No need to be polite. I can tell by your face alone that you want to go.” Will had seen right through him. Lion felt a little guilty, pushing this onto Will who most likely would rather sleep in and read all day.    
  
“Thank you.”    
  
An honest smile stretched across the brunette’s lips, a warm glint in his eyes. “So, when’s that out of season-party OUCH ?!” He jumped, surprised. It had been a while since Lion had last pinched him, the formerly daily attacks and scoldings becoming rare.    
  
“Don’t make fun of Maria, Will, she’s a child.”    
  
“…I’ll try to. So, when is it?”    
  
Lion checked the invitation again. His eyes widened. “Tomorrow.”    
  
“Oh, okay.”    
  
Lion put the letter on the table, frantically looking around. “It’s not ‘oh okay’! We don’t even have a costume! Who scheduled this?”    
  
“No, look at the date of the post stamp. It took a while to be delivered. As for the costume…I don’t think it’s obligatory.”    
  
Lion, ignoring Will because he wouldn’t take this seriously, checked the time. Already past 8 pm. Shit. All the stores were closed by now.    
  
“You don’t know Maria. She’ll be really sad if we show up wearing our casual clothes.”    
  
“…Should I ask Shorty to lend you one of their uniforms?”    
  
Lion turned red in an instant. He glared at Will while trying hard to NOT imagine himself in that lewd outfit. “Pervert.”    
  
“Dlanor will cry if I tell her you said her uniform is perverted.”    
  
“She’ll also slap you if I tell her you suggested I wear it.”    
  
“Fine, whatever…then think of something on your own.” Will huffed, leaving the kitchen.    
Behind stayed a blushing Lion. There he went again, just assuming Lion to be female. Idiot. Another proof adding to his theory. Another reason to drown those stupid feelings, to not allow him any closer.    
  
“Lion!” Will suddenly shouted from the floor, “I just remembered, I think I have something you could wear.”    
  
Footsteps of someone running down the stairs. Silence. Silence. The door to the study. Footsteps on the stairs. And then, Will returned, his left hand hidden behind his back. Lion eyed him suspiciously. What on earth could he possibly store in the study that would qualify as a Halloween outfit?    
  
“Okay, close your eyes.”    
  
“…Why? Can’t you just show me?”    
  
“No, it’s gonna be a surprise.” Will came towards him. Lion, respectively, took a few steps back.    
  
“At least tell me what it is.”    
  
“No, like I said, it’s a surprise.”    
Two steps forwards Will, three steps backwards Lion. His back hit the windowsill. Great.    
  
“O-Okay, I’ll close my eyes…and then?”    
  
“I’ll dress you up, what elseEEEAHHHHHHRGGHH?!?!%&”    
  
Upon hearing those words, Lion’s instincts had switched from defense to attack.    
  
“That’s it, you pervert!” Lion’s blood rose up high enough to reach even his ears. He readied himself for another pinch attack.    
  
Will sank to the ground, groaning in pain. Both his hands helplessly shielded his butt, the previously hidden ‘costume’ now lying on the ground next to Will.    
  
It was a set of white, fluffy cat ears. Lion looked down, staring at the harmless item.   
  
“Oh. Ohhh…you meant, you’d put those on me?”    
  
Will on the ground winced. Then he growled. “Liiiioooon…..!!!”    
  
Feeling guilty, while blushing even harder at his own misunderstanding, Lion kneeled down to somehow keep Will from murdering him upon recovery.    
  
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Here, look, I’ll wear them, okay?” Attempting to make up for his mistake, Lion selflessly grabbed the cat ears and put them on. He was happy there was no mirror near.    
  
“What do you think?” He smiled, innocently almost, at the inquisitor pushing himself up on his elbow.    
  
Now on his knees as well, sporting a contorted expression, Will mustered the smaller man.    
“I swear, you’re lucky you’re cute. But this pinching has got to stop, oww…”    
  
“T-then stop phrasing your words so ambiguously!”    
  
“As if I would just undress you.”    
  
“Why do you even have those?” Lion asked, changing the uncomfortable topic. Another clever business strategy he was taught. Turning the table.    
  
Will scratched the back of his head. “Got them on a whim. They were in the storefront window and I thought they looked like Diana’s, so…”    
  
“Pff…that’s the reason?” Lion chuckled. That was just like him. A little strange but also slightly charming. Just as he was about to get back up, Will held out his hand, indicating him to stay where he was.    
  
“Wait.” He took out his phone from his back pocket. “I want to take a picture first.”    
  
“What? NO!” Lion turned away, hands held up high, his face covered.    
  
“Why not? Come on.” Will pouted, his phone’s camera already switched on. Lion had tried this function a few times himself. The quality was not great, but overall good, and the pictures were taken in color, much to his joy.    
  
“Who's going to see them? I-I’m the future Head of the Ushiromiya Family, I can’t allow photos of me in such a---”   
  
Will interrupted him, getting impatient. “I won’t show them to anyone, promise.”    
  
“Ughh…fine. Just one, alright?”    
  
“Sure.” Will’s face lit up in pure joy, an expression he - if ever - only showed when Diana was involved. It was almost laughable how right he was, because the second Lion mused about that, Will suddenly jumped up to get his cat. She was napping peacefully at the top of her cat tree, but Will carefully lifted her up and placed her on Lion’s lap.    
  
Again, he held up his phone, adjusting the angle a few times until completely satisfied. “Ready? Smile!”    
  
Somehow, strangely so, Lion didn’t feel that uncomfortable anymore. If Will was this happy, he felt good himself. Why not go along with this for a while?    
  
*Click*    
“How is it?”    
“Really cute. Can I take one more? Do the ‘nyah’ thing.”    
  
Lion tilted his head. “The ‘nyah’ thing?”    
  
“You know, when you do this---” He balled his fist and bent his wrist. “---like a cat paw.”    
  
“Ohh, I see. Haha, it really looks like a cat paw, doesn’t it?” He mimicked Will’s example. “Like this?”    
  
“Yep, perfect as always you model student. Keep your head tilted like that.”    
  
*Click*    
  
“Could you show me?”    
  
“Sure, come over.”    
  
Lion, after putting Diana down, crawled over to Will and sat down on the ground across from him. “Here.” With the display turned to the side, Lion had a good look at the pictures Will had taken. They indeed looked cute. Nonetheless, if ever anyone aside from Will would get to see these, he’d die from shame. An idea came to his mind.    
  
“Can I take a picture too?”    
  
“Of what?”    
  
“You wearing them.”    
  
Lion had expected Will to protest, but instead he just took the cat ears off of Lion’s head and placed them on himself. Lion’s smile spread into a wide grin as he took over Will’s phone. Brown or black ears would have fitted him better, but at least he was in sync with his favorite living being in the world. The sympathy was mutual as Diana usually listened well to her owner’s commands. Will whistled, calling her name softly. Immediately the Maine Coon got up and strolled over, purring loudly as she nestled into his welcoming arms.    
  
“Ready.”    
  
*Click*    
  
Lion handed the phone back to Will who, judging by his face, had the time of his life. He eagerly pushed a few buttons – Lion was sure that he set the picture as display background.    
“Look, that’s us.” He showed Diana the screen, but it was met with a stretched yawn.    
  
“Could you send it to my phone?”    
  
“Sure, hold on.”    
  
  
Heavy rain drummed against the windows, the wind rattling at the trees as if trying to rip them apart while the moon slowly but steady climbed the night sky.    
  
Lion and Will, who sat side-by-side on the ground, backs leaned against the couch, played with Diana until she got tired of mouse chasing and Lion dozed off a while later. Will, the only one left awake, took out his phone, happily looking at his newest settings. Lion, his hand held up like a paw and a disinterested looking Diana greeted him. A faint smile spread across his lips as the blond’s head drifted sideways in his sleep, meeting Will’s shoulder. With his cat on his lap and his partner at his side like this, the inquisitor wondered if he had to stay in that spot all night, but was admittedly not too troubled by this beautiful dilemma.    
  
\-------------------------------------------   
  
“What are you doing?”    
  
Lion, coffee cup in his hands, curiously scanned the page Will was ‘browsing’. His eyes were fixated on the screen, a concentrated look on his face as he paid Lion no attention whatsoever.   
It was a calm Sunday morning, a few hours left until they’d leave for Maria’s Halloween Party. For once in a while, the sun had decided to pay a rare visit, shining weakly into the heated room.    
  
Lion slightly hit his partner’s shoulder. “Hey. Don’t ignore me.”    
  
Finally, Will’s arm moving around the mouse stopped and he gave the floor a strong kick, resulting in the chair to roll a few centimeters over to the left. It was an invitation for his partner to come closer and have a look.    
  
“I’m checking out the stock prices. I thought I told you I was investing in foreign exchange a while ago.”    
  
“You did. But I had no idea you could do this on the internet.” Interesting! Lion attentively examined the numbers that were displayed on the screen. The setting was different from what he was used to, but he could make some sense out of it. 

Will was quick to notice. “So? What do you think, Watson-kun?”    
  
His cup placed down on the table, Lion put his hand on his chin absentmindedly, contemplating. “Hmm…I have more knowledge when it comes to real estate investments, but I’d say you’re doing well so far.”    
  
Will nodded, approving his partner’s deduction. “Who taught you?”    
  
“My father insisted that I take stock market classes. As his successor, he wanted me to take over his business as well, so…If you need any help, I’d gladly give a few suggestions.”    
  
Contrary to Lion’s expectation, Will furrowed his brows, his arms crossed. “Thanks, but I’d rather not.”    
  
“Why?” Lion questioned his deprecatory stance. Wouldn’t it be much more fun to take on this job together?

“Weren’t your father’s investments a total failure? I highly doubt he taught you anything usefuOUUUUWWW AHHH STOP STOPPP!?!&%“    
  
“Don’t insult my father, idiot Will !!” Lion attacked his bottom, embarrassed and offended at the same time.   
  
“It’s the truth ARGH!” In his attempt to get away from the blond’s fingers, Will had gotten up too fast and hit his knee at the desk. The coffee almost swapped out of the cup, hopping up dangerously close to the rim from the impact.    
  
“I-I learned from his mistakes. Plus, my teacher was a college professor, so…”    
  
Ushiromiya Krauss had probably realized his shortcomings along the way, intending for his son to fare better than him. As a result, Lion had learned about economy and finances from only the best teachers, reputation and experience equally high. Krauss had also kept his failures a secret, making sure his children would pay him the respect he thought he deserved. For that reason and also because he never had the audacity to doubt his father, Lion grew up believing Ushiromiya Krauss to be an outstanding businessman, only learning of the bitter truth through the game records that Will had handed to him back at the chapel. It was devastating to say the least.    
  
Lion rambled on, thinking it was unfair of Will to assume he’d fail the same way his father did.    
  
“Ughh fine, whatever, I get it.” Will grimaced, one hand holding his knee, one hand holding his butt. If not trying so hard to save his honor, Lion would’ve laughed at the ridiculous posture. His opponent didn’t find it funny at all, glaring at him. “I’ll hear your opinions if you STOP pinching me, for the last time!”    
  
Lion smirked mischievously. “Uhm...chose your words better and I’ll consider it?”    
  
“Tch.”    
  
Will returned to his office chair, fretting. He took a sip from Lion’s coffee, but the latter one kept quiet as he continued smiling. He was quite fond of this sight, because sitting in that black, professional looking leather chair, Will looked like some grumpy company boss. His usual bored demeanor became slightly more serious as he worked through the news and thought of his next strategy. Lion thought that this working attitude looked rather good on him and regretted missing his chance to witness the Ex-Head Inquisitor in action.    
It was a strange, unreasonable feeling, but watching his Sherlock at work calmed him down. If he could somehow support him, even better.    
  
Lion liked to imagine the two of them working together. If only Will taught him how to use the internet better, they’d surely be successful in their investments. He was certain of it - all that was left was to convince the ever so sceptical detective.    
  
He fetched the newspaper from the counter in the kitchen. First step to a profitable business was to carefully read the news and analyze the latest developments… 

It was hard to concentrate properly though. Ever since waking up, his stomach had been feeble and nervous. He’d see his family for the first time in quite a while. Ever since they had left for heaven almost two months had passed. For Lion, who used to be around his family every single day, it felt like half an eternity.    
  
When the time for departure came, he got so excited that he dropped the cat ears twice until Will had enough and put them away into his coat pockets ‘for later’.   
Without a chance to buy proper costumes, Will just went in his everyday outfit, while Lion was wearing a blue cable-knit turtleneck sweater in combination with beige cotton pants and brown leather boots. He got cold quickly, his red blazer just wasn’t suited for the chilly end-of November weather and had been stowed away in the drawer a few weeks ago. The turtleneck and the boots had been gifts from Will, even though Lion had a hard time accepting them.    
It had been an especially cold afternoon, the depressing sky grey and heavy as if rain was prying on them from behind the veil of dark clouds. Being too attentive for his own good, Will had quickly noticed Lion’s shivers and insisted to buy him more clothes, his partner’s protest falling on deaf ears. They had left the store with a set of three autumn pullovers and the set of boots he was currently wearing.    
Lion kept detailed note of Will’s expenses concerning him and having to add more numbers to the already long list sent him into a spiral of self-loathing that lasted for almost two days.    
  
Leaving heaven, Will pulled Lion close to him, holding the young man firmly against his chest as the wind howled and tore at their clothes. Once again, Lion wasn’t allowed to open his eyes, another factor that only added to his heart pounding against his chest. It was a painful reminder that things had changed between them. Or maybe nothing had changed at all, he was just slow to understand. At the same time he wished for this flight to be over as soon as possible, he wished for it to last for eternity. Correspondingly, he felt equally relieved and sad once their feet landed on solid ground. 

“Oi, hey there!! If it isn’t Lion and Willard! Come over here you two!”   
  
Battler waved at them from afar. The whole family had gathered together in the middle of the Golden Land. Lion blinked. The witches must’ve had a hand in decorating because they had really outdone themselves. The whole place was overflowing with pumpkins, jack-o-lantern decorations literally EVERYWHERE. On the parlor, on the tables, between the roses, floating in the air. Next to the festive decorations, Gohda or possibly Genji had gone all out, presenting their cooking skills in form of a huge banquet that offered multiple cakes, soups, gratins, snacks and beverages. Of course, all pumpkin-spiced. It reminded Lion of the party that Battler had arranged for Ange back then…   
  
“Stop gaping. They’re waiting, let’s go.”   
  
Lion couldn’t tell whether Will was generally hard to impress or just much better at hiding his astonishment. Either way, it seemed like this would be a fun day.  
  
“Uu~ You came!” Maria immediately came running up to the pair as they approached the loud group of chatting relatives that greeted them warmly. Especially Beatrice, who at this point was closest to Lion, flashed them a gleeful smile.   
  
Lion bowed down and hugged the little girl shortly. He got along well with ‘his’ Maria, but wasn’t sure whether ‘this’ Maria would be fine with this gesture. “Thank you for the invitation.”   
  
“You’re welcome! But uuu~ where are your costumes?” Maria pouted.   
  
Lion looked back up at Will. _See? I told you she’d be upset._   
  
Will stepped closer and, quite gently, put the white set of cat ears on Lion. “We have a costume, see? Lion’s a kitty cat.”   
  
“CUTE!!!” Maria stretched her back, so she’d reach Lion’s head, fluffing up the plush ears until she was apparently satisfied. The little girl took a step back, then clapped her hands together. “Yep, you pass.”  
  
Lion, playing along, offered an elegant bow. “The young lady’s words honor me.”   
  
Maria grinned. As expected, she was dressed up as a witch. In addition to her witch outfit, she was also wearing a black witch hat and had replaced her staff with a broom. Lion’s outfit now approved, she mustered the inquisitor next.   
  
“Where’s your outfit?”   
  
Will shrugged. “I’m already in costume, can’t you tell?”   
  
Maria frowned, gazing at him sceptically. “What are you?”   
  
“A detective.”   
  
“….fine, you pass!” 

Maria laughed as she ran over to Sakutaro, who was fleeing from the Seven Stakes and their hugs once again. A few people watched and giggled, some had come over to greet them now that Maria had officially welcomed them to the party.    
  
“You look well, I’m glad.” Natsuhi hugged him.    
“Those ears are so cute! Can I touch them? Hey there Willard.” Jessica was upbeat as usual.   
“It’s been a while. I’m glad you could make it.” Krauss said, his hand patting Lion’s shoulder firmly.    
  
Many more family members came to say hello, being not only very accepting of his existence but his companion’s as well. His prior nervousness gone, Lion relaxed, simply enjoying being with his family. Even though it was loud and chaotic around him, the world felt calm and serene.    
  
“You look glad.” Will commented in between devouring a pumpkin muffin. The outline of a bat had been painted onto it with cinnamon. Lion decided to try that one next.    
  
“I am. I think I missed them more than I realized.”    
  
“Why not stay with us a while longer? You’re always welcome.” Battler, who had overheard the conversation, joined their company. Similar to Lion, a set of huge ears decorated his head. Only his were scraggy, grey and accompanied by a tail. He was supposed to be a werewolf, but with the collar around his neck, he was actually closer to a domesticated husky. It had probably been Beatrice’s idea, Lion mused, as he imagined Will in that outfit. Not bad.    
  
“Thank you, but I’m staying with Will.” It was best like that. Lion grabbed a glass of orange juice. This truly fucked up idea of the inquisitor with a collar around his neck had to leave his head. He wasn’t perverted like that.    
  
“Say, are you two a couple or what?” 

Lion ungracefully spurted his beverage.    
  
He didn’t even have to turn around to see how the other was doing, because the coughing already told him that Will was about to choke on his cupcake.    
  
“Oops, sorry you two…I..uhm…” Battler awkwardly looked around for help, not sure what to do. He didn’t get far though, because the moment Lion caught his breath, he grabbed Battler’s butt, pinching with all the strength he could muster.    
  
The pained cry could be heard until the far corners of the Golden Land. Most people giggled, some made a puzzled face, some went as far as cheering for Lion as he chased after Battler, who ran for his dear life, sprinting through the garden in zig zag lines.    
  
Will wiped his lips, still coughing, as he watched the drama unfold and was immensely glad to not be on the receiving end for once. If that stupid question hadn’t popped up so unexpectedly…   
  
Battler was really unfortunate though. He stood no chance against Lion, who was a fast runner and thanks to his favourite sport was also much more preserving.    
After barely two minutes, an out-of-breath Battler surrendered. His buttocks were saved by Beatrice, who (after laughing her ass off) finally stepped in and apologized for whatever her stupid husband had done.    
  
Will watched over the two of them having a little chat curiously. He really wanted to know what this was about. It was a pity Lion hadn’t answered Battler’s question. They were discussing it though. He could tell by the way Beatrice would secretly pass him a glance during her talk with her other self.    
Objectively, the answer to Battler’s question would be a clear ‘No’. They weren’t officially a couple. Despite this, Will couldn’t deny that he had become more and more curious as to what Lion truly felt towards him.    
Some days he could swear that there was ‘more’, while sometimes his advances were clearly turned down or met with disapproval. It was rather hard to find a safe distance nowadays.    
  


“So? How is it going?” Beatrice grinned at him as if she already knew the answer to her question.    
  
Lion blushed slightly. Was there even a point at lying to ‘himself’? She’d notice, wouldn’t she?    
  
He rubbed his arm, suddenly insecure. “I…honestly, I have no idea. It’s complicated.”    
  
At that, Beatrice’s expression changed, the mischievous spirit gone completely, her face now showed true concern. She looked around, making sure nobody would overhear them.    
  
“You can always talk to me if it helps.” Her lips in a bitter line, she quietly added “Please don’t make the same mistake I did and keep your troubles to yourself for too long.”    
  
“Thank you…I’ll take you up on that offer maybe later. But for now, don’t worry. I’m living a happy life…Will spoils me too much.”    
  
“Pffft…that crude guy? Really?”    
  
Lion joined the witch's chuckle. “I know. It might sound strange at first, but he has his soft sides.”    
  
Beatrice winked at him. “Good luck then. I’ll be here cheering you on.”    
  
Lion thanked her from the bottom of his heart. He’d been looking for someone to talk to. Dlanor was nice and trustworthy, but they weren’t close enough for Lion to confide in her. Now, at a party, wasn’t a good time, but maybe he’d return soon and discuss his worries with her.    
  
They returned from their safe distance in the garden to the banquet, where Battler was already waiting for his wife. The two of them immediately engaged in friendly bickering. Will was still at one of the tables, chatting with Jessica. Lion didn’t feel like joining in, heading for the center of the garden instead.    
Under the pavilion, Kinzo, Rosa, Maria, Sakutaro and Shannon had assembled, preparing a huge pumpkin for the next game. It was most likely the work of one of the witches, because at almost 2 meters height, it towered proudly over the adults and furniture alike.    
  
“What are you doing with all those candies?” Lion asked Rosa as he leaned against one of the pillars next to her.    
  
“We’re filling the whole pumpkin!” Maria answered instead. For a moment, Lion was scared that Rosa would scold her, but it seemed she didn’t mind. Everyone at the party made sure that Maria was enjoying herself, most of all her mother. At least here in the Golden Land, Rosa and her daughter could spend their time together in peace.    
  
“It’s a guessing game. Everyone can come by and guess how many candies are in the pumpkin. We’ll then count and the closest guess will win the prize.” Rosa explained while handing Maria another bowl of sweets.    
  
“I see. That sounds like fun, let me help.”    
_ I bet Lamdadelta would love this… _

“Uu~ Here!” Humming happily, Maria ran over to the table and got another bowl for the young successor. “Grandpa has the candy, you refill the bowl and then hand it to Shannon.”    
  
Shannon, who sat on top of a latter next to the orange vegetable, waved.    
  
“Leave it to me.”    
  
Lion turned towards Kinzo, ready to do as Maria said. The elder sat on one of the chairs, holding a bag filled to the brim with candies.    
  
Lion had already greeted him from afar. Now that he was this close, his pulse sped up. He told himself to get it together. This was a different Kinzo, no problem. Will was here as well.    
  
“Lion. It’s good to see you.”    
  
The family Head got up, reaching for his son. “Head-sama, it’s good to see you doing well.”    
  
“Hoho, no need to be so formal!” He laughed, but Lion barely found the heart to muster up a smile. His body wasn’t listening. The closer he got, the harder every fiber tensed up, screaming at him to get as far away as he could.  _ It’s fine! _

“Come here, let me give you a hug.” Kinzo, oblivious, pulled Lion into a firm, but friendly embrace. He patted him on the back. “Come visit more often, we’ve been missing you.”   
  
“…”   
  
Lion couldn’t answer. He couldn’t even think, let alone breathe properly. He wanted to scream but it seemed he forgot how to do even that. Frozen stiff, he just stood there, the world around him a nonsensical whirl of voices.   
  
“Lion?” By now even Kinzo had found his state concerning. “You’re pale, do you need a rest?”   
His hand touched Lion’s forehead, then wandered down to his cheek as the boy’s lack of response prompted Rosa and Shannon to worry as well.   
  
Meanwhile, Lion was rendered unable to speak, to breath or to even look somewhere else but down at his feet. As if his blood had disappeared all at once, he felt cold, frozen to the ground.   
Kinzo’s hand on his cheek burned like fire on his skin, like acid that would melt away his face any second now.   
  
Everything turned black. When Lion came back to himself, he was already running. He couldn’t remember how he had gotten there or where he was headed to, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was to escape. So he ran as fast as he could, further and further into the maze of rose gardens until his feet gave up. Tumbling, he fell on his knees, hands supporting his shivering body as his lungs hammered against his ribs.   
“Ughh….”   
  
He wanted to cry for help, but couldn’t find the strength. Panic clouded his mind and senses like someone pushing a cushion onto the face of a sleeping person, suffocating them slowly. Lion gasped.   
  
Footsteps.   
_It’s Kinzo. RUN!__  
_  
Lion struggled to get back up, but his world was swirling too much. He quickly lost balance, falling back onto his knees.   
  
Footsteps. Close, not even 4 meters away.   
His world stopped. Everything stopped.   
  
“Lion?”   
  
It was Kinzo.   
  
A muffled shriek escaped his clenched teeth.   
  
“Get back and leave this to me.”   
  
Lion almost fainted. That was Will. His tone was alarmed, the harsh way he spoke to Kinzo came across as an order or even closer – a dare.   
  
Footsteps. Someone left.   
  
“Lion.”   
  
The man’s voice was now soft. Lion knew that pitch all too well.   
  
“Kinzo's gone. You’re safe here.”   
  
Lion, at this point drenched in cold sweat, heard those words but was unable to take them in. His mind was trapped somewhere else completely. Another flashback and his stomach turned into the hardest knot.   
  
He noticed Will settle down on the ground a few steps away. “I’ll stay here until you feel better, okay?”   
  
Lion held his mouth shut with one hand. He felt so dizzy, so nauseous…  
Another flashback…  
He couldn’t take it any longer. As he violently threw up into the rose bed, he wanted to die out of shame. Could he go for at least two weeks WITHOUT a mental breakdown? Was that too much to ask for? Why did this have to happen? WHY?   
  
“You know what, fuck that considerate bullshit.” Will cussed. “I’m gonna do this my way after all.”   
  
Lion yelped as Will grabbed his waist and pulled him into his arms. His weak struggles were in vain. “W-Will…let go, I...”   
“No.”   
“I might throw up again…”   
“I don’t care.”   
  
The Head Inquisitor gently stroked his back, putting in every effort to calm the shaking, gasping boy in his arms, if only a little.   
  
“Try to take deep breaths.”   
  
Another flashback.   
Lion pressed himself against Will, his fists that held onto his shirt almost as white.   
  
“Lion, look at me. You’re in the Golden Land, understood?”   
  
“Will…”  
  
He did his best. Bravely, Lion looked up, forcing himself to focus on those cat-like, yellowish orbs. It helped a little. He attempted another deep breath. The fresh air that filled his lungs felt good. Another breath.  
  
“That’s good, keep going.”   
  
Encouraged by Will’s words, Lion coughed, suppressing another wave of panic that rose from his sickly stomach. Another deep breath.   
  
“Shh…it’s okay. I’m with you.”   
  
“…no.” Tears welled up as well as fresh memories.   
  
“No?” Will repeated confused, but never ceased to rub his back.   
  
Lion knew well he was being unfair. He knew this was neither the time nor the place for this, but he couldn’t keep it to himself. Beatrice had warned him, hadn’t she? To voice the pain?   
Lion buried his face into Will’s shirt.  
  
“You weren’t there. I called for you so many times…but…” Hot tears ran down his cheeks. It hurt. Everything hurt. He remembered so clearly. “I screamed your name until I was hoarse, but…you didn’t come…” Sobbing, he rambled, not leaving any place for Will to answer. Why couldn’t he shut up?   
“I-I know…it’s not your fault…you couldn’t possibly…”   
  
Will seemed to understand. He had stopped the strokes and instead cradled Lion as close to him as possible, one hand on his waist, one on his head. Lion hated himself as Will spoke up, his voice dripping with agony.   
  
“I’m sorry. I swear I looked everywhere for that kakera....”   
  
“No…Will, I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”   
  
“Don’t apologize. You’re suffering enough already.”   
  
“I just…you’re always saving me, so why that one time….”   
  
Will didn’t even want to imagine what made his partner suffer so much. He resented Bernkastel, and also Kinzo from the bottom of his heart. He’d hoped, prayed for his theory to be mistaken, but the current situation unfortunately proved his idea about that kakera to be right. That goddamn asshole of a…  
  
He looked down onto the fragile shell of Lion. Unfair. Why did he have to suffer this much? Just when the nightmares had stopped, he was pushed into yet another trauma.   
Lion’s words echoed through his mind. Against his will, he pictured his partner desperate, screaming and hoping for Will in vain.   
  
_Shit_  
  
“I’ll never let go of you again. I promise.”   
  
Lion nodded against his chest.   
  
They kept sitting like that for a long time, neither of them uttering another word. Words weren’t necessary. They understood each other's hearts without them. Will wasn’t surprised when Lion spoke up again, having calmed down enough to think clearly.   
  
“…I …I’m scared Will. I don’t want to end up a mental case.”   
  
The detective shook his head. “I’d be more concerned if all of this had no effect on you.”   
  
“But---”   
  
“You’re traumatized, that’s all. You’ll probably get nightmares again and we need to keep that man away from you, but that’s nothing we can’t manage. Right?”   
  
_‘We’_  
For the first time, Lion managed a smile, if only barely visible on his exhausted face. With Will, it was always ‘we’.   
  
“Yes.”   
  
He wasn’t alone. Will was right, together they’d manage somehow. They’d survived situations much more dire already, hadn’t they?   
  
By now, the panic attack was over and the shaking had stopped. Will handed him a tissue so he could clean his face. The inside of his mouth tasted stale and dry, but at least his world had stopped spinning.   
  
In fact, his world was just the two of them right there, everything else far away in the background. Even if Kinzo would come back to look for him, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that person’s hand on the back of his head, drawing tiny circles into his hair with his thumb. Conversation or long emotional speeches weren’t needed. Everything Lion needed to know was conveyed through those small gestures.   
How long had they been there by now? An hour? Two?   
  
“Feeling better?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“What about your foot? You weren’t supposed to run around this much, remember?”   
  
Lion’s eyes grew wide. Stupefied, he looked down at his ankle, noticing for the first time that day that it hurt like hell. When he had chased Battler, his shame had clouded his mind, and by the second time he broke into a sprint…well…he could barely remember. There were things that were much worse than a sprained foot.   
  
Will sighed. “Thought so. It was almost healed, but I think we should have the doctor take another look after this.”   
Lion facepalmed as he let out a deep sigh as well, rubbing his temple as he leaned back into Will’s arms. And here he had looked forward to getting rid of the bandage once and for all.   
  
“Wanna try standing up?”   
  
Lion nodded, holding onto Will’s arms as he pulled them up in one fast motion. Upon standing, another wave of dizziness caught him, threatened to throw him off balance as his circulation gradually came back to life.   
  
“I think my ankle is swollen…” Lion limped a few insecure steps on his own, Will at his side, ready to catch him should he fall.   
  
“If it hurts, let me carry you.”   
  
“Not in front of my family…that’s just…humiliating.”   
  
Will lifted his eyebrow in surprise. “You want to go back to the party?”   
  
“Yes. I want to go back and see it through to the end.” Lion was determined. He wouldn’t run from this. There was no need to.   
  
“Your guts are impressive as always, but are you sure? You might freak out again.” 

Lion softly pinched his arm. “Don’t say ‘freak out’ Will.”   
  
The detective ruffled his hair, his gaze going back to the party far in the distance and back to Lion.   
“Are you sure? We could go home for today and come back later.”   
  
Lion shook his head. “I want to enjoy Maria’s party. There’s a guessing game with a prize, you know? We should have a try.”   
  
Will’s mouth turned upwards, growing into a somewhat fond, acknowledging grin. “You’re really something.” He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out the cat ears, offering them to his partner. “Here, you lost them at the pavilion.”   
  
“Oh, you’re right. Thanks.” Lion put them back on. Readying himself, he took another few steps, only stopping as he noticed that Will hadn’t moved from his spot.   
Lion tilted his head. “What’s wrong?”   
  
“To be honest, I feel like punching that Kinzo in the face the moment I see him. I can’t promise I’ll be able to forgive him.”   
  
“I know…I feel the same.”   
  
“Then why? You don’t need to force yourself to face him right now.”   
  
“It’s going to be fine, I’m sure of it. You’ll stay by my side, right?”   
  
Will blinked, his hand at the back of his head halting it’s movement as he finally understood what Lion was trying to say.   
  
They’d go back to the party and see it through to the very end. Nobody would be allowed to spoil their happiness any further.   
  
Will, returning Lion’s look, his eyes determined as well, shrugged his shoulders. “Very well, let’s go get that prize I’d say.”   
  
“Yeah!” Lion waited for Will to catch up to him before he spread his arms, waiting for the taller man to scoop him up. The look on Will’s face was priceless.   
  
“Wait, I thought you didn’t want to be carried??”   
  
“It’s okay as long as my family won’t see. Just let me back down once we’re close enough.”   
  
Will chuckled as he lifted up the young heir into his arms in a practiced motion – it felt almost natural by now – and slendered through the garden towards their destination. There was no hurry in his pace, but Lion didn’t complain. The panic attack had left him exhausted and to be honest, he just wanted to slip under his bed covers and sleep for a week. The longer it took them to get back to the Golden Land’s center, the more time he had to recover his strength and harden his resolve.   
  
“I’ll tell Kinzo to stay away.” Will mumbled as they got close enough to hear the commotion at the party. It relieved Lion that they apparently were having fun and that his earlier action hadn’t spoiled the festivity for everyone involved.   
  
“No. I’ll do that. But I’ll need you next to me.”   
  
“Fine. But tell me if it gets too much. No more running for you.” Will let Lion down, holding his back for support until they were sure he could manage the last few meters on his own. It was good timing because one minute later, the party attendants already spotted the approaching pair, some greeting them with worry and hesitation, some, who had barely noticed Lion’s escape back then, with curiosity.   
_Where have you been so long? Are you alright? What happened? You look pale, are you sick? _  
All sorts of questions were thrust upon them and while Lion sat down on a bench, trying to come up with a plausible explanation without having to reveal his inner turmoil, Will organized him a drink and some medication, his eyes always on the lookout for the culprit of this story.   
  
Just when Lion assured a very concerned Maria and Beatrice that there was no need to worry, Kinzo approached from behind the two girls. Will was next to Lion in under one second, tension high as if ready to throw himself at the elder upon the slightest wrong movement.   
He had refused to judge the old man back at their first meeting, but this time, it was personal.   
  
Lion was the first to speak up. “Head-sama…I know you must be confused.”   
  
Kinzo nodded, keeping his distance this time. “I am. What happened?”   
  
“Nothing.” Lion searched for the right words, his hands interlocked on his lap. “At least not in this world. The ‘you’ in the Golden Land is not to blame.”   
  
“I see.” Kinzo’s voice grew heavy, he suddenly seemed much older, as if he’d gained 10 years over the span of a few seconds. He probably realized that his wicked love had not even spared Lion in one of the many worlds. “Forgive me, my dear…”   
  
Lion hesitated, but because Will looked like he was about to spit out another rude comment, he took the duty of refusal upon himself.   
  
“I will try to. But right now, I can’t, I’m sorry.” He had no idea what hurt more, his own heart or Kinzo’s expression, grave and sorrowful.   
  
“That’s already more than I deserve. I will wait for that time to come for forever.”   
  
Kinzo retreated, back to the group of curious onlookers. He shook his head at their questions, keeping their conversation a secret. Lion almost felt bad for him.   
“Did I do the right thing?”   
  
Now relaxed, Will sat down next to him, watching over the man’s figure as well. “No idea, who knows? Did it feel right to you?”   
  
“I…think so? It’s what I honestly feel.”   
  
“Then let’s give it a rest. Want some?”   
  
Will offered Lion one of the pumpkin cupcakes on the table behind them.   
  
“Are they good?”   
  
“I like them.”   
  
“I’ll take one then.”   
  
Come to think of it, he was really hungry. But, after all, that was a good sign, wasn’t it?   
  
With the Seven Stakes harassing Sakutaro for the uptheent time that day and Battler being a real mood maker, the atmosphere soon returned to normal or rather a lively one. Kinzo kept away and with Will being practically glued to his hip for the rest of the day, Lion was able to regain his composure somewhat. In any other situation he would have found the detective’s overprotectiveness annoying, but just for this day, he was immensely glad to have him by his side. This way, he could focus on the Halloween games that Maria insisted everyone played.   
  
Some alcohol involved on the adults' side and soon the harmless games turned twisted in their own way. Lion giggled and laughed as Will was coerced into a fierce round of twister against Battler and Kanon, the party attendants cheering loudly from all sides. With his long slender body he had a clear advantage – or so Lion thought. Will cussed and groaned, his legs stuck between Battlers left ankle and Kanons right arm. Beatrice set the spinning wheel into motion.   
  
“Willard. Left hand – blue!”   
  
“ARE U FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”   
  
“Hang in there Will!”   
  
“Shut up, how am I supposed to get there?!”   
  
Lion held his stomach from laughing too much as he watched Will shift awkwardly across the gameboard, causing Battler to almost fall over. “Ouch! Watch it!”   
  
“Watch yourself ughhnn…!!!” Will stretched his arm as far as he could.   
  
Impossible. Battler broke down first, causing Will and Kanon to topple over as well.   
Roaring laughter echoed through the garden, the three boys all glaring angrily at each other as Maria announced the game to be a draw.   
  
“I can’t believe I joined that…” Will loathed himself as he returned to Lion, who was grinning widely.   
  
“I found it amusing. I was sure you’d win though.”   
  
Will rolled his eyes and chucked down a glass of coke. “I would have! It’s all Battler’s fault.”   
  
“Pffft…yeah, sure.”   
  
“You’re having fun?”   
  
“Yep.”   
  
“That’s good then.” Will quickly ruffled Lion’s hair.  
  
“What about you Will? Are you having fun, too?”   
  
The tall man contemplated, his brows furrowed. “Probably. I can’t remember the last time I did something stupid like that.”   
  
Lion leaned sidewards until his side barely touched Will’s left arm. He didn’t want the other’s to notice. Will kept perfectly still. Relaxed in their spots they kept watching the family members bicker and joke until it was time for the announcement of the big event’s winner. Maria, sitting on top of the huge pumpkin announced everyone’s guesses while Virgilia wrote them into the air for everyone to see, the letters shimmering in a beautiful gold. When Will’s guess joined the others already hovering in the air, Lion was surprised.   
  
“You guessed that many? I don’t think so many would fit…”   
  
“No, I’m sure I got it right. You just measure the pumpkin, roughly deduct its volume and then you do the same with the candy. The rest is simple math.”   
  
Lion gaped at him. “Did you honestly deduce this mathematically?! The point is to GUESS, Will!” This goddamn detective. Of course he’d try every method to get the right answer. He shouldn’t be surprised…  
  
Five minutes later, Will was announced as the game’s winner. Lion facepalmed hard. Astonishingly, he had only been wrong by 30 candies.   
  
Wild applause surrounded them.   
  
“You’re rank 7, you could’ve done better.”   
  
“That’s because I GUESSED the number.”   
  
Lion contemplated pinching him, but decided against it. Will deserved much better today. Under loud cheers Maria handed him his earned prize (rightfully earned or not). The Head Inquisitor stared down at the handsewn pumpkin plush in his hands. It had a very cute “^w^”- face.   
  
“UUuu~ You’re the Halloween King now!” Maria also handed him a small, golden crown. Will held it in his palm hesitatingly.   
  
“…thanks.”   
  
“Put in on, put it on! Uuu~”   
  
“Yeah, put it on, Willard!” Battler joined in.   
  
Troubled, Will put on the plastic crown. He had the looks to be a prince, but…it looked really out of place on him. Maria, dancing happily around him, was probably the only one who thought it fitted him well.   
  
“Welcome back, Pumpkin Prince.” Lion giggled upon Will’s hastened return.   
  
“It’s Halloween King.”

Judging by his frown, he was obviously not happy to be the fool in the spotlight. To make matters worse, people and furniture alike kept cheering for him, calling his title over and over.   
  
“This was a children’s game, what did you expect?”   
  
Ashamed of himself, Will bowed over, his face buried in his hands.   
  
“Not sure, but certainly not this…” he mumbled into his palms, defeated.   
  
Lion took the plush pumpkin and turned it around. It was well done, probably Rosa’s work. With its ‘w’ shaped mouth it smiled at Lion and he smiled back. “It’s cute.”   
  
“Keep it.”   
  
He would put it on his nightstand, Lion decided, so that it would remind him of the day when Maria was happy and Will had become a handsome prince. If fortunate enough, it would surely bring him sweet dreams.   
  
“Say, could we take a picture?”   
  
“Do I get to take off that shitty crown?”   
  
Lion pouted in Maria’s stead. “It’s not shitty, don’t say that.”   
  
Will pinched the bridge of his nose. The things he endured for that Lion….  
  
“Do whatever you want.”   
  
Lion kept pouting at that wording but decided not to let it spoil his mood. Will was just unhappy about being the laughingstock for once, there was a great chance he’d be happy to get another picture with Lion in cat ears.   
The Ushiromiya quickly instructed his eager to help sister. As expected she got very excited upon seeing the cell phone for the first time, jokingly announcing that she’d secretly keep it.   
  
“Okay, I’m ready! Get in position!”   
  
Lion gave Will a checkover. The crown was still there, he looked good. Back straight and hands folded on his lap, he shuffled closer to Will. “I’m ready.”   
  
*Click*   
“Huh? Did I take it? Wait let me do this again…” Jessica tried a few different angles, varying her distance, before finally handing the phone back to her brother.   
  
“Man, that thing is cool. Can’t you get me one, too?”   
  
“I doubt you’d have a connection here though…” Will cut her off, but Lion was too distracted to notice.   
The pictures his little sister had taken were quite good. The Halloween setting was still visible, with the smiling pair in focus. He regretted that he still looked sickly, face paler and more strained than usual…but apart from that it would become a lovely memento.   
  
“Speaking of connection, I’ll send them to you back home.”   
  
“Speaking of home, we should be going soon. Diana’s probably getting lonely by now.”   
  
Lion nodded. He was right and he didn’t want to risk her tearing up their new sofa when they’d just gotten it. Plus, he was getting tired and Will, who didn’t like socializing, most likely needed some well-deserved rest.   
  
They took their turns saying goodbye to everyone (except Kinzo, who Lion waved to from afar) and after receiving a box with leftover cake from Natsuhi, they left for Heaven.   
  
As expected, Diana meowed loudly at them, a paw already on the curtains as if threatening them to never be this late again. After quickly changing into their sleepwear, Lion made hot chocolate while Will placed the cake pieces on two plates and turned on the TV. Their evening routine didn’t last all too long, both yawning and rubbing their sleepy eyes frequently, watching the documentary more passive than active. At 10 pm, they gave up. Their minds needed rest.   
  
“I might get nightmares again.” Lion gave an advanced warning as he crawled onto his bed. He felt stable, but from past experience he knew how fast this could change. Sleep was merciless on the wounded.   
  
Will took off his socks and threw them in the far corner of the room. He scratched his neck as he gazed at his partner. “That’s most likely. Want me to hold you again?”   
  
“It might help, but I can’t promise I won’t wake you up.”   
  
Will shook his head “Nah, it’s okay. You’ve fought hard enough today.”   
  
As he had done before, he got under the covers and pulled the Ushiromiya into his arms. In contrast to the cold bed sheets, Will’s body was comfortably warm. Lion closed his eyes, praying that no more flashbacks would find him. He felt like understanding Beatrice’s pain more and more. Unlike him, who had someone who understood his heart, she had suffered alone for so many years.   
Bernkastel had been wrong. Just as his own existence equaled a miracle, his meeting with Will had been another miracle, something that in the end had saved him from the cruel dead-end fate. It was almost funny that Bernkastel had caused this herself by calling the SSVD Head Inquisitor into his cat box. In the end, the Witch who refused to grant a miracle, had already invited one into his world.   
  
“You know…I think you’re the miracle that all these “me” had been waiting for…”   
  
He felt the tall man twitch slightly, his muscles suddenly tense.   
  
“Lion, I…”  
  
“Hm?”   
  
Will kept quiet. Lion wished he’d hurry up and finish that sentence, because he was about to pass out.  
  
“No, nothing. Wrong timing.” Will whispered against the cushion.  
  
Lion nuzzled his face against his partner’s neck. “Tell me later, okay?”   
  
“Yeah…” Will placed a reserved kiss on Lion’s head. The boy chuckled.   
  
“I’m not Diana.”  
  
“I know.”   
  
Lion wanted to retort something, but he couldn’t recall what it was. His foggy mind stopped him from thinking, drawing him into deep sleep soon after. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...*puts out 5 chapters in one single day or nothing in months*.....I'm sorry guys, that's how it is with me, please bear with it :'D 
> 
> I'll give you a cookie, if you spot the Jenna Marbles reference in this chapter ;D 
> 
> Anyway...we're finally getting to the point where Lion starts to seriously contemplate about his feelings towards Will and I'm so ecxited about the next few chapters~

Overwhelmed and in a frenzy, he tore at the heavy chain that connected the shackle around his ankle to the bedframe. He couldn’t escape. Fast footsteps approaching. Not daring to turn around, Lion pulled and tore at the chains once again, but in vain. He couldn’t escape. Lion cried and begged and screamed for Will, but nothing. No response. Why wasn’t he coming to save him?! He was so scared. This wasn’t happening, it was a dream! Why did nobody wake him up?  
  
“Lion!”  
  
The blond’s eyes shut open. Confused, he looked around. He was on his bed. In front of him Will. So it had been a dream after all.  
  
“No offense, but you’re about to break my wrist…”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Lion, already used to waking up from his nightmares like this, followed Will’s line of sight. Unconsciously, he held on to the detective’s arm with all his might. Quickly he let go of him before sinking back into the cushions, feeling a little guilty. “Sorry.”  
  
“As expected, huh?”  
  
“I hate this.”  
  
Will gazed deep into his eyes. “That wasn’t ‘_you’_.”  
  
Lion shuddered. “I know. But it felt real...”  
  
Fortunately or not, Will was smart. So smart in fact, that Lion didn’t have to explain the ‘it’ factor of that world. Judging by the inquisitor’s reactions so far, he had already figured it out on his own.  
  
“Focus on what makes you feel good.” Will placed another kiss on Lion’s head. It indeed felt good.  
The young Ushiromiya felt tempted to ask for another one but was still sane enough to remember why he shouldn’t allow any more than this. He’d already pushed the limits further and further.  
  
_\- Isn’t it already too late? _  
_\- …__  
__\- ’ll end up heartbroken. Tonight is the last time. An exception. __  
__\- You already allowed him this close and now you want to push him away again? How cruel is that?_  
_\- It’s for the best. __  
__\- Liar. You’re nothing but a weak, pathetic child, scared of being rejected._  
_\- …_  
  
He fell back into sleep.  
  
The next dream was a peaceful one. Will, sporting a cheap plastic crown on his head and a shuttlecock in his hand, lifted the racket, ready to give Lion one hell of a good game…  
  


* * *

  
They slept in the next day, only getting up because Diana meowed into Will’s ear until he felt his heart and eardrum break alike. Along with a satisfied cat, munching on her premium food, the pair ate breakfast in their pajamas, the time of day completely irrelevant and forgotten. Aside from a short hospital visit to have Lion’s ankle examined, they had no plans whatsoever.  
  
So when Will suddenly excused himself a while later, shortly informing his partner that he would return soon, Lion was quite surprised. The blond was resting on the couch like so many times before, because – as expected – he had received quite the lecture from the doctor. With the swelling gone, his fracture was now almost healed and luckily his sprint hadn’t caused serious damage. Nonetheless, he’d been ordered to be careful.  
  
“Where are you going? Can I come along? ” Lion felt a bit offended because Will had never mentioned any plans before. Not that he was obligated to in any way.  
  
“I’ve got a date to prepare.”  
  
Lion blinked, utterly dumbfounded, then chuckled as he made sense of Will’s strange wording. “What are you getting Diana this time?”  
  
Will, already dressed up and halfway down the stairway, didn’t reply. Lion was sure he had heard him very well, but fine…if he didn’t feel like replying, Lion wouldn’t pry any further.  
  
Instead, he pressed against the window as he watched the tall man close the door and walk down the street, soon vanishing around the corner. Lion frowned. He’d been talking about the cat, right? There was no way Will would secretly date anyone, right?  
  
\- _ See? you’re jealous. _ _  
_ _ \- Be quiet. _ _  
_ _ \- I bet he’s dating a cute girl. A real girl, not some cheap fake like you. _ _  
_ _ \- Shut up. _

Lion vehemently shook his head, then lifted his hands up and pinched his cheeks until the pain brought him back to reality. These self-deprecating thoughts had to stop. Especially today. He looked up, watching the shapeshifting clouds in the sky for a while.  
  
Despite knowing better, he soon found himself captured by an accelerating tide of melancholy, drowning in thoughts and memories of his past world. He turned towards the Maine Coon who had jumped up the windowsill to keep her second favorite owner company. Lion petted her behind the ears, fluffing up the long hair in the process.  
  
“You know what? Today’s November 29 th .”  
  
Diana purred with pleasure, her eyes half-closed, almost dozing off.  
  
“It’s my birthday. Not that anybody remembers.”  
  
It wasn’t just any birthday. He was turning 20 today. Today, he was supposed to become a fully accepted member of the society, a splendid adult, and most importantly – take over the role of family Head. He’d done nothing else but prepare all his life for this very day, prepare for the heavy burden called responsibility that he was supposed to shoulder. All those long nights of endless studying, all those hardships, all efforts turned to nothingness. All in vain. Apart from playing badminton, he’d diligently spent his time at the student council, polishing his leadership skills, or at extracurricular lessons and unlike his sister, who seemed to enjoy her youth to the fullest, always surrounded by her friends, laughing, being silly, Lion abandoned his self-interests and fully devoted himself to the fate that he was given.  
  
Smiling in a bitter fashion, Lion looked at his reflection in the mirror. If he had known that all his work would be for nothing, would he have lived differently? Will had told him that everything in his life, every action, held meaning. He could agree with that and he also didn’t think he had any right to whine or complain. After all, he should be glad he was still alive (more or less).  
  
“Get yourself together, come on.” He whispered to his pathetic face in the window. His current life was a good one. Being sad would be nothing less than an insult to Will’s efforts at making him feel home. The now young adult pinched his cheek again. Maybe a hot Earl Grey would cheer him up.  
  
Said and done, Lion heated up some milk for Diana and prepared tea for himself.   
Carefully balancing warm milk and tea cup back into the living room, Lion grabbed the latest mystery novel he’d been reading and laid back onto the couch. Some distraction would surely help brighten his mood, and if he was lucky, Will would listen to his new theories later.  
  
Speaking of the devil, half an hour later, the front door was opened, and Lion felt immediately relieved. If Will had been out on a real date, there was no way it had gone well. That thought was a bit mean, but it couldn’t be helped. At least on his birthday, he should be allowed to be a tiny bit selfish. 

Will scuffled back up the stairs, dropping some plastic bags onto the floor as soon as he reached the 2nd level. Lion attentively watched him hurry to get out of his boots and coat, ears and nose bright red.  
  
“You look cold.”  
  
“No shit, Watson.” Will rolled his eyes, rubbing his arms fervently.  
  
“How was your date?”  
  
The tall man grabbed his shopping bags, making his way to the kitchen. “Successful so far. Make some space on the table.”  
  
Lion did as he was told, eying the detective suspiciously. There was no way he’d speed date. Maybe one of the store assistants at the pet shop? That’d make sense…  
  
He was soon distracted by various noises coming from the kitchen. He had a vague feeling that Will was making a mess again and he didn’t like that one bit.  
  
“You need some help there?”  
  
“Nope. Stay where you are.”  
  
More sounds of drawers being opened and shut _ loudly _ as Will was apparently looking for something while on the other hand trying to keep Diana away from whatever it was he had bought.  
  
The Ushiromiya shook his head, about to have it with Will being a goddamn tornado in the kitchen (one that refused to clean up later on), as the rummaging finally came to an end.  
  
“Okay, I’m done. Close your eyes.” Will appeared at the door frame, looking at his partner expectantly. This was getting more and more suspicious…  
  
“…why?”  
  
“Because I ask you to.” Will was a true master of subtle ‘shut-ups’.  
  
Lion furrowed his brows, anxiously closing his eyes. The sound of something light, probably glass being placed on the table along with something heavier almost tempted him to cheat and take a sneak peek. Will was definitely up to something weird again. Like that one time he’d brought home a white fake fur rug because it reminded him of Diana. Or that one time he’d placed three tiny plastic kittens on the bathtub rim because they reminded him of Diana. Or that one instance when---

“Open your eyes.”  
  
Lion didn’t need to be told twice. His eyes shot open as he readied himself for whatever sight would greet him. But in the end, nothing could have prepared him for _ that _ . Gaping, he stared at the table, back to Will, back to the table.  
  
On the wooden surface stood a bottle of red wine, next to it two elegant glasses and placed right in the middle was a beautifully decorated, expensive looking sushi plate. Standing out the most was a tuna nigiri right in the middle of the plate that had been forcefully stabbed with a small, red candle.  
  
“Happy Birthday.” Will announced, as Lion stared at the ridiculous sushi candle shining at his nonplussed face.  
  
“Wait, but, how…I mean…” he spurted out, utterly confused.  
  
“There’s no way I’d know your birthday?”  
  
“Yes! How did you..?”  
  
“You filled out a sheet with your personal information at the hospital. I happened to have a look at it.”  
  
“You trespassed into the doctor’s office?!”  
  
“I’m not a criminal. I talked to the doctor about your health and just happened to look at that paper while he was distracted by Dlanor.”  
  
“…”  
  
Wordless, Lion opened his mouth to say something, immediately forgot what it was, stared at the table and then back at Will.  
  
“Idiot…”  
  
“You say that, but you look pretty damn happy.”  
  
“Well…I am.” He turned away, barely on time to catch Diana in her attempt to steal from the table.  
  
“HEY, NO!” Diana was unimpressed, paw still lingering very close to the tuna nigiri. 

“Come on, sweetie, these are for Lion.” Will cradled the white princess into his lap, sneaking her a few cat treats that he stored in his pocket. Lion regularly cursed this habit, because being in charge of laundry most of the time, it was him who had to get them out of Will’s clothes every single time.  
  
Diana’s content munching quickly reminded them of their empty stomachs.  
  
Having settled down on the ground next to Will, Lion carefully blew out the dripping candle, both Will and the cat watching attentively.  
  
“Did you make a wish?” Will asked while he unceremoniously opened the wine bottle, a sweet fragrant filling the immediate air.  
  
“Yep. But I won’t tell.”  
  
Lion took another bite from his inarizushi, which tasted like heaven. Surely Will had bought no cheap supermarket stuff. Forcing himself to not think of the amount he must have spent for his sake yet again, the now adult relaxed back against the couch.  
  
“Well then, let’s hope it’ll be fulfilled. Here you go.”  
  
Will handed him the now halfway filled wine glass. Observing its content swirl around elegantly at the slightest movement, a strange feeling overcame the blond. “Weird. I really do feel like an adult now.”  
  
Will chuckled. “You still look like a small brat to me. What was your height again?” 

A hand was lifted and a mouth was shut. 

Despite that, the mood didn’t feel strained at all as Will held out his glass. “Let’s have a toast.”  
  
“Sure.” 

The two of them clinked glasses, earning a disapproving look from Diana. Lion took a hesitant first sip of his beverage. “I’m no expert by all means, but this one tastes great.”  
  
“It better does, it’s my favorite.” Will gulped down another sip, gracelessly as usual, but Lion was already used to the sight. “I just hope you can hold your liquor.”  
  
Lion rolled his eyes. “Stop mocking me. I’m already 20 now, I can drink a glass or two, no problem.” As if to prove his point, he took another sip, a little excited at the way it filled his stomach and chest with warmth. Proudly he looked up at his partner.  
  
“I planned nothing else, in case you wonder, so if there’s something you wanna do, just say so.”  
  
“That’s nice coming from you.” Lion grinned, causing Will to lift his brow. “If it was up to you, we’d stay in and laze around all day.”  
  
“Exactly.” 

Time flew by as the pair relished in their peaceful party, the conversations undisturbed and smooth. They laughed and joked, talking about past birthdays - about how Will ended up so drunk that he accidentally mistook Gertrude for his mother, how Jessica would suck at hiding presents with Lion certainly stumbling upon them days before his actual birthday, about Will struggling to cook Diana a birthday cake made of sardines…  
  
They also talked about Will’s future stock market plans, about the best actions and rates and whether or not Lion would be allowed to assist. The Ushiromiya, now a full-fledged adult, vehemently insisted on taking on more responsibility for their finances and after two more lectures about internet security, the Ex-Wright finally gave in.  
  
So, fully content, the pair snuggled up into the sofa’s cushions, each occupying their respective side, slightly drowsy from their stuffed, satisfied stomachs. Out of the blue, Lion’s phone beeped, making the two of them jump at the unexpected sound.  
  
“It’s Dlanor.” Lion announced after happily reading through the birthday message he’d received from the sweet girl. “She’s asking if it’s okay to pay us a visit. There’s something she wants to hand over.”  
  
“Nah, I don’t want guests.” 

Lion kicked his knee. “Excuse you, this is _ my _ birthday and _ I _ want to see her.”  
  
The grumpy old man groaned in frustration, face closely resembling that of a pouting child. Practiced in ignoring him, Lion sent out his answer and put the phone back onto the couch table.  
  
“I wonder what it is.” There was no need for her to buy him a present, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t interested. 

“You don’t seem to care what I got you.” Will sulked. Now it was Lion’s turn to be confused. 

“Wait, I thought your present was the food?”  
  
“Nah. A meal is a meal and a gift is a gift. I ordered something online, but those lazy fuckers at logistics didn’t make it in time.”  
  
“I don’t mind if it gets here late, really. And watch your mouth.” 

Will shrugged. “Well, whatever. I’m still going to file a complaint.”  
  
For someone so lazy, Will sure was naggy when it came to matters that failed his expectations, Lion thought to himself. The detective undeniably had a strong opinion on how things were supposed to be, though the blond wondered how much of that aspect was a remnant of Will’s time as Head Inquisitor. 

Another point of interest interfered before he could further indulge in this trail of thought.  
  
“What did you get me, anyway?”  
  
“It’s not a surprise anymore if I tell you. It’s up to you though.”  
  
Lion agreed, despite being almost unable to suppress his curiosity. “How about you give me a hint or two?”  
  
At that, the detective’s face lit up. “You want a guessing game? I’m up for that.”  
  
“Why not, I’m in.” Waking up from his inner slumber, Lion corrected his unhealthy crouched position on the sofa, ready to take on the challenge. Things were getting interesting.

“Allright, first and second hint: it’s something long and thin. The two of us can use it.” 

Lion contemplated. What was long, thin and meant for two? This was harder than expected. Thoughtlessly, he took another sip of wine from the glass that Will had refilled a while ago.  
  
“Some sort of kitchen appliance?”  
  
“Wrong. Did you deduce this at all? I’m not into kitchen stuff, you know that.”  
  
So no kitchenware, huh?  
  
“More toys for playing with Diana?”  
  
“Nope, but that’s much better. The ‘toy’ part is already close.”  
  
Lion blinked, his deduction suddenly diving into a certain direction he’d never given much thought, but…

…maybe it was the wine’s fault. He could feel his face heat up. It was definitely the wine’s fault.  
  
Something long, thin, a toy meant for two people, something Will would be interested in as well….  
  
_ A dildo _ .  
  
NO. Lion shook his head, ashamed of himself. What was he thinking?! Will would never ever get him something so dirty! Why did he even arrive at such a conclusion?! This was unheard of.  
  
There had to be a much more plausible solution. 

“One more hint, please.”  
  
Will pondered, one hand on his chin. He obviously didn’t want to help out any further.  
  
“Third hint: it’s motivation to move one’s body.”  
  
Lion eyed the brunet suspiciously. No way. No fucking way.  
  
“What sort of movement?” 

“Like I’m telling you, that’d be too easy. I’ll just give you this much: It’s sweaty.”  
  
Lion gaped.  
  
_See? It’s a dildo._  
  
_NO. He wouldn’t get me a sex toy, that’d be…_

“What the hell, why are you looking at me like this?” 

_ He wouldn’t ….right?? RIGHT? _   
  
“Oi, say something, you’re creeping me out.”  
  
Suddenly, Lion felt hot, his pulse hammering against his skin, the heartbeat pulsating softly in his ear. Lion was certain that the older man was at least a little bit attracted to him, but would he actually use this opportunity for further advances? Sure, the shut-in detective could be a weirdo sometimes, but everyone with common sense wouldn’t…

Will kicked him with his foot. “Hey, are you drunk?”  
  
“I’m not. I’m just thinking about the gift.” Lion defended himself. “You didn’t get me anything weird, right?”  
  
“Define ‘weird’.”  
  
“Inappropriate.”  
  
Will frowned. “That’s not helping much. What on earth are you thinking of?”  
  
“Is it meant for adults?”  
  
“Of course it is. We’re adults after all.”  
  
“…”  
  
Lion eyed the wine to his left. He either needed more of it or less. The question was, how much was needed to make the image in his mind leave him alone. Regardless, he had to bring this to an end before his thoughts ended up even further in the gutter. 

“My loss. I can’t think of anything.”  
  
“Liar. You’re clearly thinking of something and I want to know what it is.”  
  
Lion couldn’t tell if he was blushing or if it was just the alcohol settling down in his cheeks. No way he’d tell. “It’s nothing.”  
  
Unfortunately, Will didn’t even think of backing off. The guessing game had turned its tables and the tiny glint in the detective’s eyes told everyone that he was READY to go for it. 

“Keep going. I already gave you all the basic information. It’s some sort of toy, long, thin, adult-size. Now if you think of a spo----” Will halted abruptly mid-sentence, his expression the look of a revelation, like he JUST realized what had been so obviously smacking his face for minutes.  
In accordance, his expression slowly twisted into something much more sinister, a mischievous grin plastered on the detective’s face as he STARED at the Ushiromiya.  
  
_ OH GOD HE KNOWS, DOESN’T HE? _ _  
_  
“Glad we found out who’s the real pervert here.” Will mocked. “I assume you’ll refrain from calling _ me _ dirty from now on?” 

“N-no idea what you’re talking about.” Lion feigned ignorance, arms quickly crossing in front of his chest.  
  
“Nah, your face is all red, I got you.”  
  
“It’s the wine.”  
  
Will crawled over, towering above his partner. “I’m willing to believe in the alcohol being at fault, but the game’s far from over. Why don’t you tell me your genius conclusion, Mr. Watson?”  
  
Lion scrunched. This damn detective who always acted all high and mighty, as if he was so much better than everyone else.  
  
“Diana’s throwing up.” he announced with the most serious tone he could still muster.  
  
All expression falling out of his face and crashing on the ground, Will’s head snapped backwards, alarmed and ready to hurl over to his precious feline.  
  
Using that split second of carelessness on the detective’s part (after all, there were no puking sounds to be heard), Lion dashed out from under Will, fleeing out of the living room and down the stairs as fast as his legs carried him. Will was quick to catch up on the ruse though, and, using his built-up momentum, he chased after his prey with a dash.  
  
“You little…!!”  
  
“EEP!” Lion let out a shriek as Will gradually caught up with him, escaping to the other side of the guest room’s dining table.  
  
“Confess! You thought of sex toys, you closet pervert!” Will shouted, making Lion pray that their neighbors were either gone or deaf, best of all both.  
  
“You phrased the hints like that on purpose!” Lion pointed his finger to Will on the opposite side of the table in a dramatic fashion. “You…You offender!”  
  
“So you admit that you thought of sex toys.” Will smiled victoriously.  
  
“Stop saying that!”   
  
“SEX TOYS!”  
  
OH GOD THE NEIGHBOURS.  
  
“WILL!” 

“PERVERT!”  
  
“YOU ARE!” 

“DIL----"

The ringing doorbell interrupted their quarrel. Lion immediately lost all color.  
  
“See?! I bet it’s the neighbors.” he hissed angrily, further paling at the thought of being the newest neighborhood embarrassment. Just what had gotten into him?!  
  
On the contrary, Will didn’t seem fazed at all. If anything, he seemed rather pissed at the sudden interruption. Without second thought he walked over to the door, ripping it open nonchalantly, as if they hadn’t shouted obscenities for all to hear mere seconds ago. Lion in the meanwhile sunk to the ground, hiding behind one of the wooden chairs. 

“Good evening, Willard.” greeted Dlanor, clad in a dark blue coat that, despite being kid-sized, completely covered her body up until the knees.  
  
“As I thought. Hi Shorty.” Making room for the girl to enter, Will quickly slammed the door shut and motioned for her to get into the guest room.  
  
At that, Lion had no choice but to greet her. She’d come for his sake after all. Awkwardly emerging from his hiding spot, he waved at the inquisitor. “Dlanor, nice to see you. Thank you for coming.”  
  
“No need to thank me.” Dlanor gazed from Lion to Will and back, the small package in her hands shyly pressed to her chest. “…am I interrupting something?”  
  
“Ah, no, don’t worry.” Lion quickly tried to reassure her. Actually, her visit was perfect timing.  
  
“Really? I heard you shouting.”  
  
“Tha—that was…” Lion’s frantic search for an excuse was interrupted by a smug Will, who leaned against the guest room entrance as if he had no worries in the world.  
  
“That one’s drunk, just ignore whatever perverted stuff might come out of that mouth.” 

The Ushiromiya reached Will’s behind faster than he could run, his left foot already on the staircase, as the blond literally pulled him back down by his buttocks. “I am NOT drunk. And the one with the filthy mouth is YOU; are we clear, Willard?”  
With each word, Lion’s fake angelic smile grew bigger, sending shivers through the detective’s body.  
  
“Are you sure I’m not a bother?” Dlanor inquired a second time, but Lion could’ve sworn he’d caught her stifling a laugh at their display. 

“No, not at all. Would you like some tea? Or maybe a coffee?” he remembered his manners, finally letting go of his partner’s bottom.  
  
“A tea would be nice, thank you.”  
  
She’s a tea person, huh? Lion made a mental note while instructing his guest on where to leave her coat and shoes. Prior to his move-in, Will had carelessly thrown his boots and coats into the next best corner, getting wrinkles and dirt everywhere. Now that Lion had taken full control of their household, a coat hook adorned the wall next to the front door, their winter attire and scarfs neatly hung in a row.  
  
The three of them went back upstairs where Will and Dlanor soon engaged in work related small talk. Lion didn’t mind being the one to prepare for the guest – he liked listening in to their conversation, picking up a few new names and bits of interesting information. It seemed Dlanor had received a letter from Erika, much to her joy, and the pair were slowly but surely making up.  
Dlanor in return was relieved to hear about their latest visit to the Golden Land, confirming that everyone was doing fine, though Lion purposely left out the episode of him and Kinzo.  
  
“While we’re talking about festivities...” Dlanor placed the gift she’d brought on the table. “I wanted to give you this.”  
  
Curiously Lion picked up the thin envelope, wrapped up neatly in metallic blue paper. It weighted almost nothing, and because Dlanor gifting him money was very unlikely, he deduced that it had to be either tickets for something or a voucher. What he pulled out was close to his first guess: Two official invitations for the division’s joint Christmas Gala.  
  
“I wasn’t sure what to get you. If you don’t want to go it’s fine.”  
  
Lion shook his head, beaming with delight. “Not at all, I’d like to go. Thank you so much!”   
He and Dlanor shared a quick hug, the inquisitor ensuring that Cornelia and Gertrude would be very happy to have him there as well.  
  
“We’ll go, right Will?” Lion happily handed the tickets over for him to have a look. The brunet made a displeased face, staring down at the paper as if it was cursed by Lucifer himself.  
  
“Like hell I’d want to go.”  
  
“What?! Why not?”  
  
“Shut-in.” Dlanor added quietly, the two of them intensively staring at their opposite, eager to convince him no matter what. Will’s expression turned a shade more troubled if that was even possible.  
  
“I don’t want to see any of these people. I quit my job for a reason, remember?”  
  
“Will! Dlanor got us these tickets as a present. Show some respect.” Lion frowned. Turning down a gift like that, poor Dlanor. How could this person be so understanding and yet so blatantly RUDE at times, for crying out loud?  
  
“Things might have changed since the last Wright was arrested. Do you really plan to run from your past for forever?”  
  
It was probably meant as a scolding, or perhaps, a warning, but Lion could hear the sadness between the lines and wondered what had happened that made the two of them act like this. Run from the past? Will had already told Lion the reason why he quit his job back when they were facing Bernkastel and he’d also an idea of the difficult circumstances of that time, with rumors spreading like wildfire and whatnot. But still, the feeling of him being left out of something important spread through his heart – he didn’t like it one bit.  
  
Avoiding an immediate answer, Will grabbed his coffee cup and took a suspiciously long sip, his eyes resting on something in the room invisible to the other two.  
  
“What’s wrong with not wanting to be reminded of past mistakes? You can’t tell me I’m not allowed some peace of mind.” 

Dlanor sighed. “That’s not what I meant; I believe you understand that very well.” 

“Will, how about we just go there and see how it is? If it becomes too uncomfortable, we can leave on the spot, don’t worry.”  
  
If he couldn’t talk to his partner like Dlanor could, he could still try to be the voice of reason, Lion decided as he put up the most comforting smile he could muster.  
  
Now it was Will’s turn to sigh. At least that broke the tension that had slowly accumulated in the room, and Lion was relieved to see Dlanor relax into her seat as well. He would have hated to see the closest friends he had in Heaven to get into a fight. Even more so, because in its essence, it was for his sake.  
  
“I’ll think about it, okay?” Will shuffled through his hair, gaze scanning the room on the lookout for something .  
  
“That’s enough to ask for. Thank you.” Replying, Lion got up to pick Diana from her cat tower, carrying her over to the couch before carefully dropping her onto Will’s lap. The detective raised an eyebrow at that with Lion grinning back at him. At this point, he knew him much better than the inquisitor would think.  
  
Speaking of inquisitor, after apologizing for ruining the mood, the Eiserne Jungfrau’s Head made quite an effort to engage in unimportant small talk and while Will rarely if ever joined in, Lion fully enjoyed the company. Being around the older man 24/7, every change in conversation partner was most welcome, though Will was by no means boring. After another cup of tea was emptied, their guest left, but not before having her turn to fluff up the household's secret Ms. Popular.  
  
They’d slept in way too much, Lion thought, as he looked out at the already dark sky, killing every enthusiasm to leave the house for another birthday activity. Instead, the pair decided to just follow their usual evening routine, which meant Diana playtime, TV and this time exclusively – more wine.  
Lion didn’t bring up the invitation or Will’s previous job again. He wanted his partner to enjoy the day as well, especially after he’d gone out of his way to surprise the Ushiromiya.  
  
Feeling the now familiar warmth fill his chest, Lion stared at the emptied bottle of wine. “You know…” he started voicing out his thoughts “I might have been a little bit drunk earlier.”  
  
“Told you so.”  
  
“Do you think Dlanor heard us?”  
  
“Loud and clear. I doubt her red face was caused by the cold.”  
  
“…You know what?”  
  
“What?” Will spoke against the TV screen, too lazy to turn and properly face his partner.  
  
“I’m gonna get you one for Christmas.”  
  
Will’s head spun to the side, his mouth slightly gaping, like a koi fish dragged on land.  
  
“You’re joking, right?”  
  
“I am.” Lion replied deadpan, “I already found your collection, you don’t need more.”  
  
It took all he had not to burst into laughter at Will’s deranged expression. Served him right.  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t have a—”  
  
“Joke.”  
  
The fact that, even if only for a second, Will seemed relieved caught Lion’s attention. It was none of his business, but maybe he’d have a thorough look at the closets during Will’s next time out. 

“The way you take revenge is preposterous.” his victim sulked.

“You just don’t like to be on the receiving end for once, that’s all.”  
  
“Tch.”   
  
Lion snickered at the older man who refused to even look at him. “You had it coming.”  
  
“I’m gonna forward it to Battler, saying it’s from you.”  
  
“Haha, I can imagine him being overjoyed at my genius. Thanks for that brilliant idea, Sherlock.”  
  
“You’re welcome, shitty brat.”  
  
Will sucked at hiding his amusement at the proposed scenario, his lips drawn slightly upwards gave him away. Lion leaned over the back of the couch, stretching his arm to grab his phone from the drawer. Faking a call, he held it up to his ear going “Yes, hello 911? I’m being bullied by a shitty brat, help.”  
  
Will rolled his eyes. “I swear to god, I’ll be the one to pinch your ass if this keeps on…”  
  
“I better call them again and ask them to protect my behind in that case.”  
  
Lion put his phone back to his ear, feeling great and maybe a little lightheaded. Fucking with Will was so much fun, he could do it for hours.  
Puzzled by his own thoughts, he halted. Was there something wrong with that line just now? Nah, must’ve been his imagination.  
  
He could later only blame it on this moment of self-distraction, that somehow, he’d failed to perceive the detective crawling over, towering above him. When Will’s cold hand pried the phone out of his fingers it almost gave him a heart attack.  
  
“You’re drunk again, aren’t you?”  
  
“…No?”  
  
Will made a sympathetic face. “If we go to that gala you better keep your hands of the alcohol or I’ll hurl your ass out of there in under 3 seconds.”  
  
It took a while for Lion’s clouded brain to properly analyze Will’s too many words in a row. “…Does that mean we’re going?”  
  
“Gimme a few days to consider.”  
  
“Would puppy eyes help?”  
  
Will chuckled softly. “No. Go to bed already.”  
  
“Mhh.”  
  
Doing as he was told, Lion slipped into his pajamas, feeling suddenly very sleepy indeed. The still reasonable part of his brain made a note to blame anything weird that had occurred that day on the alcohol later.  
When he entered the freshly aired bedroom, Will had already taken refuge under the blankets and Lion hurried to do the same. The freezing night air sent violent shivers through his warmed-up body – they’d need to use the thicker winter sheets soon if not already the next day.  
  
Rubbing his arms, Lion turned out the nightstand lamp as fast as he could, pulling up the covers all the way up to his ears.  
  
“You enjoyed your day?” Will’s voice came out muffled from under the blankets.  
  
“Yes, very much. You really got me with that surprise.”  
  
“It’s not like you’d ask people to celebrate, so I kept silent as well.”  
  
“Will, when’s your birthday?”  
  
“October 15th.”  
  
Wasn't that just recently?!  
  
"You should have told me."  
  
"To be honest, I kinda forgot. Haven't celebrated in years anyway."  
  
"That's no good at all! I will make sure to return the favor next year."  
  
Will yawned. "Do as you like."  
  
The young Ushiromiya closed his eyes, trying to imagine their life eleven months from now on. Would things have changed until then? Would he still be living with the detective and would he even get the opportunity to celebrate with him? If only he didn’t have so many doubts clouding his recent happiness. But with the fear of Will rejecting him upon learning of his sex, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly uneasy when it came to topics as such.  
  
“Will?”  
  
“Yeah.” The inquisitor sounded as sleepy as Lion felt. But still, he had to ask. Somewhere in the darkened room, Diana munched on one of her cat toys, the sound of it strangely calming to the blond.  
  
“Do you have any specific plans for the future? Like… planning to get married and such.”  
  
Lion felt his stomach turn into knots. He shouldn’t have asked. But if he had learned anything from his past mistakes, this was the only correct way.  
  
“Not really. What brings this up?” Will replied shortly, a loud yawn escaping his mouth.  
  
“Nothing, I was just curious.” Lion lied. This wasn’t going anywhere without him being more specific. “Do you plan on having any children? I bet you’d be a good father.”  
  
There it was. Lion suddenly felt very cold and very sick, his heartbeat almost nonexistent. If the reply was ‘Yes’ then that meant game over for him. Whether that was a good or a bad thing.  
  
Unexpectedly, Will snorted at the question, making even Diana halt in her mission to bite through whatever she was chewing on.  
  
“I barely manage to take care of one cat. If not for you, this house would be a mess. What exactly makes you think of me as father material?”  
  
Despite knowing that not replying to any of that made his concern too obvious, Lion had no spare thoughts left. He wanted that fateful answer and he wanted to hear it now. “Does that mean you don’t want children?”  
  
Receiving no reply whatsoever, for a second Lion was afraid that Will had dozed off. When it finally came, the detective’s tone had changed drastically, now sounding downright serious.  
  
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but is this about Shannon?”  
  
Lion kept quiet. He could still pretend to have fallen asleep, couldn’t he? To think that Will would catch up this quickly. The detective’s almost superhuman deduction ability was a blessing as much as it was a curse. If Will was just a tad bit slower at times, he wouldn’t have to tip-toe around like that, let alone lie.  
  
“If it is then I must applaud your bravery.” Will continued, undisturbed by the lack of response. “But you are you and you’re free. Try to think a little more about what you yourself wish for.”  
  
“What I wish for?”  
  
“Do you want children?”  
  
Strange. Will was right, he should’ve asked himself that question first.  
“I …I’m not sure? I mean, it depends. I don’t want children that badly, I think. And if I can’t have a child with my partner, that’s fine with me.”  
  
“Glad we sorted that out.” Will seemed content. Lion heard him stir under the covers, changing his position a few times, before mumbling a sleepy “I don’t need more brats in this house either.”  
  
To say Lion felt elevated wasn’t even close. Like someone close to drowning would hold his breath, he now surfaced, relishing the fresh air filling his lungs. Breathing seemed easy now. Everything suddenly seemed so easy, within his grasp if only he dared to reach for it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you haven't noticed, writing pure crack fics is actually my forte xD  
Also, I send Will's gift description to three different friends, asking them what they thought his present was, and I did get "dildo" back 3 times. 
> 
> My headcanon for Lion and alcohol is that he gets drunk really quick, but sobers up quickly as well. 
> 
> On a more serious note, I kept thinking about Lion's fate for a long time, like...I feel so sorry for him, having his life turned upside down and all his efforts to become the next family head turned pointless in the spawn of a single day. I highly doubt he'd be all 'okay, guess that's how it is'.  
That's how this chapter was written, event though my habit of writing crack got in the way and it wasn't even half as serious as intended, I'm sorry xD


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, an update that didn't take me months to upload? What do you think, everyone? :D   
This chapter is much more Will-focussed than the others, but it was about time for him to get some well-deserved spotlight. 
> 
> Will's character description reads as follows in the novel:
> 
> "He was an ace Inquisitor of Heresy in his youth, feared for being both ruthless and merciless in his work. However, at some point, there was a change in his work attitude, and his previous flashy escapades became a thing of the past. His current style is often fickle, alternating between laziness and obsessive bursts of energy regarding mere trifles. By now, everyone has given up trying to understand him." 
> 
> There was also this one interview with Ryukishi were he said that Will "...was sick of that method (denial of love). Because of something that seems to have happened to him in the past." 
> 
> I REALLY want to know what happenend, but it was never mentioned again as far as I know, so here's my idea of his backstory ~   
Hope you enjoy!

Lion, half asleep, struggled to breathe. Something heavy pressed down on his lungs. Annoyed by the unpleasant weight, he stirred, trying to change his position. As a result, sharp claws punctured the skin on his back. Diana let out a displeased ‘meow’, holding onto her napping spot, namely, the Ushiromiya’s back.    
  
While the idea of the fluffy cat sleeping on top of him was heart-warming, damn, she was heavy. Lion rubbed his eyes, wondering what time it was. But first, he had to do something about the overweight cat suffocating him. Stirring around a bit more and consequently earning new scratches, Diana finally slid from his back, settling down at the bed’s end next to his feet instead.    
  
At that, Lion stocked, suddenly feeling uneasy. Wasn’t that strange? Diana would ALWAYS sleep close to her owner, either cuddled into his arms or right next to his face, stealing more and more of the cushion until Will’s head no longer rested on it. As a result, he frequently complained about his stiff neck, but never actually brought it over himself to scold his little princess, let alone forbid her from using his pillow.    
  
Now free to move, the Ushiromiya turned on the nightstand lamp. As suspected, Will’s bed was empty. A quick glance at the clock told him that it was in the middle of the night. Or, to be more precise – 3 am.    
When Will didn’t return even after waiting for a little while, Lion gave in to his curiosity, shakily rolling out of bed. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but he was worried, an ominous feeling looming inside his heart.    
  
“Will?” Lion poked his head into the dark living room, receiving no answer. Sometimes Will would stay up late, too immersed in his newest mystery novel to let it go, and Lion would find him sprawled out on the couch the next morning. With this possibility now ruled out, the blond made his way downstairs. In an attempt to calm his heart he imagined running into the detective hiding his stash of sex toys, panicking at being caught red-handed. Well, he had looked suspiciously nervous that one second. If Lion ever found out that his joke had hit the jackpot, he’d make sure to never let Will hear the end of it. 

Arriving downstairs, neither left nor right could a light be seen, which conclusively meant that the detective was either in the study or the guest bathroom. Lion quickly dismissed the latter and made his way to the study. That lazy guy wouldn’t bother to take a detour when there was a bathroom upstairs as well.    
  
“Will?” Lion knocked on the old, wooden door. Strangely enough, no response, let alone a sound could be heard. Had his partner dozed off?    
Carefully not to wake him, Lion opened the screeching door only to be greeted by exactly nothing. The room was completely dark, the closed curtains barely allowing any light from outside into the study. Lion switched on the light, but still no sign of the missing. Again, very strange.    
  
Maybe he’d missed him. Maybe he was already back in bed, complaining about Lion making a fuss.    
  
Just to be sure that he wasn’t mistaken, Lion checked all the rooms one more time, including the bedroom, but it was as if Will had quietly vanished from their home. Even Diana couldn’t seem to relax, wandering around on her owner’s empty bed, sniffing the sheets here and there.    
Lion grabbed his cell phone, dropping down next to her.   
The only logical answer was that Will had left the house. But why? Deciding that there was no use in brooding – he had received the cell phone for a reason – Lion made his call. Time to ask the missing detective directly.    
  
His plan, however, wasn't granted much luck – the young adult facepalmed as Will’s phone on the nightstand started ringing and buzzing.    
  
“That idiot…” Lion mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. What was the point of the device if Will didn’t carry it on him?! 

So what now? Should he wait for Will to eventually come back or go outside and look around for a bit? Both options were equally unpleasant. Having to sleep without knowing about the circumstances of Will’s disappearance or going out into the cold, dark winter night without a single clue on where to even look – both choices seemed equally tiresome and foolish...   
  
Barely five minutes later, Lion closed the front door, making sure he’d locked it properly. The cold air bit his ears and nose and stung in his lungs. Rubbing his arms, he pulled his scarlet scarf up higher and the knitted beanie further down his ears. The things he did for this irresponsible man!    
To be absolutely sure, he’d left a note for his partner in the likely case that they’d miss each other and the detective returned home earlier than him.    
  
Now, where could said irresponsible man possibly have gone? Lion honestly had no idea. Getting Will to leave the house at all was enough work in itself and the pet store was closed at this time of day. If he wandered around aimlessly it would only lead to him getting lost.    
In the end, Lion opted for the local playground for two reasons: he knew the way and he’d read enough novels to know that people usually ended up there when they needed to clear their heads. Of course, that was no more than a silly cliché, but nevertheless, it was the best bet he had.    
  
Wandering down the unnatural calm street he was surprised at himself for feeling no fear. Even in his younger years he hadn’t been afraid of the darkness, unlike his little sister, who got spooked hilariously easily. Kumawasa-san would never miss a chance to scare her into bed with one of her creepy ghost stories, but to Lion, those were nothing more than folktales made to entertain. By now, he’d seen his fair share of gruesome monsters and none of them had been hiding in the dark. If an ill-natured witch was close, she’d certainly be flashy, cackling loudly while drawing all the attention to herself.    
The one thing that frightened him most now was his own cluelessness. The fear that he had yet again failed to read his partner’s heart. That he’d unwillingly hurt him or even worse, that he’d failed to be there for him when support was needed. Just as the other was an irreplaceable anchor to him in dark times, he wanted Will to confide in him as well, and most importantly, to trust him just the same. 

Finally he reached the small playground. Now dyed in the night’s black veil, it had a hollow, eerie feel about it. Another icy breeze tore at his scarf, before swinging to the right, rattling violently at the surrounding trees. A handful of leaves fluttered to the ground, a few stray ones landing right next to Lion’s feet. He paid them no mind – instead, his gaze was fixated on a certain something. It was almost laughable, how back at the rear end, next to the only lamp in the vicinity, there was Will. Arms sluggishly draped over the back of a park bench, there was no movement in his posture whatsoever, as if he was nothing more than a doll, forgotten there by some children who’d come by to play earlier. With his head leaned back, his gaze rested on the clear sky above them.

For a split second, Lion hesitated calling out to him. He probably wanted to be left alone. On the other hand, it was his fault for leaving without a word. In the middle of the night. Without even taking his cell phone with him.    
  
Carefully not to scare him, Lion approached the detective. Nonetheless, his footsteps on the pebbly ground soon gave him away and a startled Will’s head spun around.    
  
“Good evening. Sorry to disturb you.”    
  
‘ _ What the fuck _ ’ was visibly written on the brunet’s face as he gaped, unable to find his voice. Not waiting for an invitation to come, Lion ushered Will to make some space, settling down right next to him. Now, this was much better. 

“What the hell are you doing here?”    
  
Lion wanted to laugh at the slightly freaked out pitch that escaped the usually so calm and collected inquisitor. He held back though, because if their roles were switched, he would’ve most likely been the same. 

“That’s what I want to ask. What are you doing here?”    
  
“Tch” Will clicked his tongue. “Clearing my head. I didn’t expect you to come look for me.”    
  
Lion wondered if he was pissed because for once, something unforeseen to him had occurred or because he was worried about his partner wandering around alone at such a late hour.

“Well, when people suddenly disappear in the middle of the night, one tends to worry.” 

Sighing at being lectured once again, Will rubbed his temple. “You could’ve just called me.” 

“You left your phone.”    
  
Dumbfounded, the detective quickly checked his pockets, only to find exactly nothing in them. Again, he let out another deep sigh, this time directed at himself. Finally relaxing, he shuffled over to his left, making room for Lion to get comfortable on the bench as well. At least as comfortable as one could get on a cold, hard park bench in an early December night. 

“Sorry, I should’ve checked. Still, I’m surprised you found me here.”    
  
“Right? And even more so at my first guess. I daresay, I might make a better Watson than you think.”    
  
Will chuckled. “Are you sure Diana didn’t guide you here?”

“No. The princess woke me up, but the rest is my credit to take.”

“Watson-kun is full of surprises.” Will replied, half joking, half serious. “Well then, you look cold. Should we head home?”    
  
“No.” 

“No?” 

Will blinked. “Didn’t you come here to take me back home?” 

Lion shook his head. “No, that’s not it. I came because, well…I was worried. So, if you don’t mind that it’s me, would you like to talk about whatever it is that keeps you awake?” 

“You really have a way with words, don’t you? What’s with this ‘ _ if it’s me _ ’ stuff?”    
  
“Don’t distract from the question, Will. Do you want to talk or not?” Lion replied, softly and yet firm, not allowing the detective his usual pattern of avoidance.    
  
Will looked back up, gazing once more at the stars with those beautiful golden eyes of his. Illuminated by a mixture of pale moonlight and the flickering orange of the dying street lamp, Will gave off an elegant, almost otherworldly air – a reminder to Lion that the man in front of him was, unlike himself, not human.    
  
“It’s just stuff from my past. Nothing you’d like to hear.”    
  
“But it pains you.”    
  
Will kept quiet at that, but Lion already had a hunch what this might be about. 

“Is it because of the invite? Will, I know I tried to persuade you, but if you can’t even sleep because of it, we don’t have to go.”    
  
Will looked like he was struggling with himself, so Lion kept quiet as well, not wanting to force his partner. When the inquisitor finally spoke up, his tone had changed. It was drenched in a sorrow that Lion could only interpret as a mixture of sadness and nostalgia.    
  
“You know why I quit the SSVD?”   
  
The Ushiromiya tilted his head. “Yes? You told me, remember? When we were chased by Bernkastel.”    
  
Will nodded. Eyes still fixed on the stars as he took a deep breath. 

“That was only half the truth. To be honest…I fucked up. Quite badly.”    
  
“What happened?”    
  
Will finally looked down at Lion, a sad smile on his face, as if someone wasn’t sure whether to burst out into laughter or tears.    
  
“You know something funny?” he started, ignoring Lion’s previous question. “If you follow all of Van Dine’s Commandments, the motive of the crime becomes obsolete. It’s cut out from the story and tossed away. And that’s what we,  _ what I _ , did for the longest time. I went to the crime scene, I analyzed, I deduced, I made the culprit confess, end of the story. Why ask for the ‘why dunnit’? I don’t need to understand a witch’s motive. What does that matter? A crime is a crime, and a confession is good enough to destroy the magic.”    
  
Lion had followed Will’s line of reasoning attentively, nodding here and there at the older man’s monologue. 

“But, at some point, you changed your mind.” he thought out loud.    
  
“Yeah.” Will, hands intertwined, gazed down at the ground. “I made a mistake.”    
  
“…what happened?”   
  
The detective pressed his lips together, looking away. Was it really okay to delve even deeper into Will’s past?   
  
“I got the wrong one.” he confessed in a tone that made Lion want to hug him.    
  
“You mean the culprit?”    
  
“A young girl, barely a teen. She confessed the whole thing. Her story fit my deductions so far, so it was case closed.”    
  
“…” Lion kept nodding wordlessly, paying full attention. He had a feeling that there was more to it. But Will needed his time.   
  
It paid out, because after drawing another breath, Will kept talking. Lion noticed his lips twitching slightly.    
  
“At court she refused to repeat her confession in red. I thought nothing of it, so we used the usual method.”    
  
“The usual method?”    
  
“…torture.”    
  
Lion felt Will next to him stiffen. At the same time as his body had frozen, his eyes had become restless, a reflection of an inner turmoil that Lion was just beginning to fully understand.    
Realizing what kind of truth Will had buried deep down inside his heart for all this time, he felt like crying himself.    
  
“Think of me what you like, to the inquisitors of the Heavenly Court, it’s all the same. Witches need to die. No matter how bloody the methods, ‘truth’ and ‘justice’ is all that matters.”    
  
“You did what you thought was right, didn’t you? And everyone praised you for it. Cornelia told me. How you used to be admired by everyone exactly for that ruthless way of yours.”   
  
“Strange, huh? I thought I was the biggest shot there is.” Will let out a bitter laugh. “Until that dead heart of mine got an innocent young girl tortured and killed for nothing.”   
  
As he said that, Lion noticed how his nails dug deeper into the other hand’s flesh, and he quickly placed his own hand over them. He knew this kind of harmful behavior best, after all. As his partner relaxed at the touch, Lion dared to shuffle close enough that no space was left between them. He wanted to let him know that he was there. That he wouldn’t go anywhere.    
  
“How did you find out the confession was a lie?”    
  
“A servant came up to me and told me the whole story. The true culprit was her uncle. She’d confessed to cover for him. And you know what? That guy left it at that, left the place and was about to make himself comfortable overseas, when I got there and dragged his ass to court.”    
  
“He confessed?” 

“It took some time, but he did. It was too late for the girl though…”    
  
“…she died?”    
  
“Killed herself. A meaningless death for a worthless relative.”    
  
Both sat in silence for a while, one reminiscing, the other one contemplating, struggling for anything he could say that’d provide comfort.    
  
“Let’s pray for her soul on New Years. We should go to a temple and ask her for forgiveness.”    
  
“I shouldn’t be forgiven.” 

For a second, Lion feared that Will would shake off his hand. But none of that happened. Still, he couldn’t leave it at that.    
  
“You should. You’ve changed. Because you value the heart you were able to save Clair. You lost a life and then you made a change and saved one.”    
If not for Will, Clair would’ve died without ever being understood. And he would’ve been shot dead by Kyrie, miserably dying at the mercy of those witches.    
  
“Nothing I do now can bring back a life already lost.”    
  
“Yes, that is true. But Will, you cannot deny the current ‘you’. You changed despite rumors, despite being called rude things, despite your position, you got your heart back, didn’t you?”    
  
Will snorted. “And then I got fed up with literally everything and everyone. I lashed out at friends and co-workers alike until none was left to hear me out.”    
  
“Isn’t that…because you felt like no one understood? Losing your composure is not praiseworthy, but regarding the circumstances…”    
  
“I appreciate your effort, but I don’t need you to make up excuses for meeOUCH%§&”%?!”    
  
A few strands of hair stretched in all directions, eyes wide, a bewildered Will stared at Lion in utter disbelief.    
  
“I’m spilling out my guts to you and you do THAT?!” 

“What on earth gives you the impression I’m making up excuses, you rude old man?!”    
  
“I just told you how I killed an innocent girl, don’t tell me you don’t think that’s fucked up. A model student like you, who’s always so perfect, wouldn’t make such mistakes after all…”    
  
“Idiot.” Now Lion felt just as miserable. Why didn’t he get it?    
  
“I  _ did  _ make that mistake and it got my whole family killed. How do you think I feel about that?”    
  
“Now, what’s that about?”    
  
Lion faced the detective, eyes focused on those golden orbs, that despite everything, looked dull.    
  
“If I had paid attention to everyone’s hearts, I would’ve noticed. That they didn’t want me as next Head. That there was so much malcontent. We could’ve fixed everything, Will! My world could’ve been THAT one happy world, if it wasn’t for me and my egoism. I’m no model student. I make mistakes too, we all do! So, who’s there to forgive us?”    
  
Will shook his head. “Nobody.”    
  
“Wrong. We have to live on to our best. Only you can forgive yourself. Wasn’t it YOU who told me? That nothing is meaningless. That I have to create my life myself! If you keep on fighting to become someone you can be proud of, then I’m sure one day you’ll be able to forgive yourself. You just can’t see it yet because you only keep looking back!”    
  
Slightly out of breath after his fiery speech, Lion held Will’s hands firmly. He had meant every word, every pitched note was nothing but the truth. He’d finally found the words he’d wanted to say. Now, if only his heart would be conveyed.    
  
Will had fallen silent again, his eyes averted. Only his torso was moving with each shuddering breath he took as his head sunk down so slowly that Lion almost failed to notice.    
  
“Will, are you crying?”    
  
“…shit” it was only a faint whisper, but Lion didn’t need any more confirmation.    
  
To think that this strong, confident, grumpy detective, who didn’t even flinch at having his arm torn off, would now sit before him crying, head and upper back crouched in a pitiable attempt at hiding his misery.    
  
“I’m really sorry I made you remember. But, I’m glad you let me see your heart.”    
  
Throwing every caution to the wind, Lion pulled Will into a firm hug, every fiber tense in fear of being pushed away. But this wasn’t about him.    
  
When he rubbed the detective's back in gentle circles, Lion suddenly felt Will’s hair brush against his cheek. With his face buried against Lion’s scarf, Will’s hands found their way to Lion’s back, accepting the offered comfort.    
  
“Thanks…” Will mumbled into the fabric, stifling a sob.    
  
“Did you ever talk about this with someone?”    
  
“No.”    
  
Lion hardened his grip, pulling the detective even closer. He tried to imagine how lost and hurt his partner must’ve felt up until now. Unable to share his pain because of ridicule and lost friends, how lonely must he have been? Lion began to understand the true meaning of Diana to her owner. Someone who was there, who would listen, someone who wouldn’t judge. Who would see him as what he was today, the past as irrelevant as an empty can of cat food. 

“Why don’t we both try to change? We can keep each other company and we can call out to the other if they slack off.” Lion suggested, forcing himself to smile.    
  
“Pinching their ass?” The man’s voice muffled into the scarf sounded slightly amused.    
  
“For example.”    
  
Gathering all his courage, Lion bowed down, placing a short kiss on top of Will’s head.    
  
“Let’s go home, Will. If we stay here for too long, we’ll get sick.”    
  
“…yeah.”    
  
It didn’t escape Lion how, after pulling out of their embrace, Will quickly rubbed his eyes. As if he wanted to get rid of the evidence, even though his reddened, watery eyes were more than enough proof. He blinked at the cold gusts of wind that made them burn.    
  
As the pair made their way home, they walked alongside in perfect silence, the serenity of the night drowning out the need for conversation. The way their hands were still connected usually would've made Lion flustered, but the shared warmth felt pleasantly calming instead. They could’ve sped up, but none of them actually wanted to hurry. Right now, there was something between them, some invisible bond, a gravity that pulled them closer and that would most likely disappear once they reached their destination.    
There was still so much they had to face together. But likewise, there were an equal amount of pleasant things that awaited them. Their new life had only just begun. Lion looked forward to a wonderful Christmas surrounded by Will and his family. He wanted to visit the shrine on New Years together. He wanted to eat oranges and drink tea while sitting at a big kotatsu. He wanted to prove himself worthy of a business partner. He wanted to be acknowledged by Will. And he wanted to get to know Dlanor better. Cornelia and Gertrude, too. Also, maybe one day, if they didn’t have children, a second cat or a dog would be nice…

Lion shook his head. That last wish had escalated too far.    
  
“You alright?” Will inquired, sneezing.    
  
“I’m fine. You’ve been out in the cold much longer.”    
  
A second sneeze followed.   
  
“How about I make some cacao once we’re home?” Lion offered, not fond of the idea to take care of a sick Will and also close to freezing himself.    
  
“And then we get under the thickest blankets we have and drink in bed?”    
  
Lion laughed. Will had finally brightened up, affecting himself in return. “That’s terrible manners, but I’ll let it slip tonight.”    
  
They crossed another street and turned left, arriving at their front door. Things would return to their usual everyday pattern, wouldn’t they? It was almost ridiculous how much Lion wished for a change to their current situation while simultaneously clinging to status quo for his dear life.    
  
He’d barely unlocked the door, when something white and fluffy dashed past him, throwing itself into Will’s arms. It took them exactly seven minutes of petting, apologizing and five cat treats to stop the angry feline from meowing loudly, making her protest clear for the whole neighborhood to hear.    
  
Lion let his partner take care of their ‘poor little baby’ and prepared the promised hot chocolate in the meantime. When he arrived at their bedroom, Diana was already sleeping next to Will’s feet, snoring loudly. Not even Will’s constant sneezing could disturb her peaceful sleep.    
  
Lion placed the small tablet down on the nightstand, receiving an amused look. And of course, the smug comment followed soon. “Reminds me of Shannon. Just less elegant.”    
  
“Well then, I shall switch places with her next time we’re in the Golden Land.”    
  
Will grimaced. “Seriously, you can’t take a joke. Stuck-up.”   
  
“You know, the mug’s quite hot. I might accidentally let go and pour it all over your head.” Lion retorted, a devilish grin spreading across his lips.    
  
As expected, they were back to their routine of friendly quarreling. Sighing inwards, Lion handed the chocolate down to Will, the tall man eying his every movement. He was just about to head for his own bed when Will suddenly grabbed his wrist.    
  
“Where are you going? Hurry up and get under the covers, it's cold.”    
  
Lion’s heart stopped. This was either an innocent invite to snuggle up and share some cacao…or the start of something completely else, and OH GOD he wasn’t ready.    
  
“Uh…okay…” If he looked even half as unnatural as he sounded, Will was sure to be onto him. Strangely enough, there was no hint of playfulness on the brunet’s face. An expression much more sincere made Lion flustered, his hands pressed onto the mug so that he could focus on the warmth instead of the man right next to him.    
Will pulled the blankets up, covering their bodies up until their chest. After they’d taken a few sips without something happening or Will acting indecent, Lion managed to relax slightly. He almost expected another comment on him being a pervert, but none of the sort happened.    
  
It was only after they’d almost finished their drinks, that Will lifted his hand to place it on top of Lion’s head. “I still can’t believe you went out to look for me. But, you know, thanks.”    
  
Lion, overwhelmed at the sudden gesture, was slow to respond. His current sleep deprived, hormone-driven mind had yet to process the inquisitor’s unexpected behavior.    
  
Will racked through his hair with his free hand, a soundless ‘tch’ escaping his lips. “Argh damn, I’m really bad at this. You know what I’m trying to say.”    
  
Lion nodded, leaning against the muscular man to his side. “You’re the one who taught me to look at the heart.”    
Of course, this was only half the truth. Surely, if it had been Jessica or a close friend, he’d have done the same. But with Will, another emotion got mixed in, one, that at this point he could no longer deny nor suppress.   
  
Will placed their emptied mugs onto the nightstand, hesitant to move. “Will you sleep here tonight?”    
  
“Is it alright?”    
  
“Pfft. Stupid question.”    
  
“Are you feeling a little better?”    
  
Will shuffled beneath the sheets, turning off the light. Lion wondered if that timing was on purpose.    
  
“Didn’t expect to have my own words thrust at me. But…yeah…I think confessing helped.”    
  
“That’s good. To be honest, I was afraid I wouldn’t be of much help…”    
  
“Self-doubt doesn’t suit you, so stop it. You should be well aware of my heart by now.”    
  
Lion held his breath. “W-what does  _ that _ mean?”    
  
“It means what it means. Use your own head to think.” Will mumbled into the cushion, obviously not willing to cooperate any further.    
  
“That’s unfair. Why do you always have to speak in riddles?”    
  
Instead of an answer, Will snickered. He wouldn’t answer any more questions and the Ushiromiya was far too exhausted to keep up the interrogation.    
  
‘Aware of his heart’ was it? Stupid Will, that could mean anything! It could be ‘We’re best friends, of course you cheering me up is appreciated’. Or was this supposed to be some sort of love confession? If yes, it was quite the shitty one, but somehow, it suited the inquisitor. Did Will expect an answer from him?    
  
“I can feel your headache from over here, stop wrecking your brain if you don’t get it.”    
  
“….” 

Needless to say, Will’s behind sported quite the impressive bruise for the following three days. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I read the "...everyone has given up trying to understand him" part of Will's chara description, I felt SO sad about it, like, 'wow, he must feel so lonely and misunderstood' ;_; 
> 
> I really think that just like Will solved the riddle that was Sayo/Lion, Lion is that one person who can solve the riddle that is Will.


End file.
